You Gotta Love High School!
by Animeaddict56
Summary: Bella Swan is moving back to Forks to live with her dad. But when she expects Forks to be boring, it becomes even more dramatic once she meets up with old pals. Forks sucks her into gang fights, romance, drama, and shopping with Alice! ExB, JxA, EmxR
1. Preface

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Preface

Bella's POV

I'd never given much thought that my life could be so perfect, yet so chilling, though I'd had enough reasons to. But I'm kind of glad it could be like this.

I stared without breathing across the small bedroom room, directly at the silent telephone.

Surely no one had died. None of them are so cocky that their guard would be down. They should be expecting anything. But their fight couldn't have lasted this long could it?

No. It can't be that. They're just celebrating that the fight had gone in their favor. No one could have died.

I looked around. Angela had silent tears running down her face. Tia kept twirling her hair to distract herself. Kate was silent but the worried look never left her face. I turned to look at the floor, not wanting to see the rest of the faces in the room.

I know that if I had never moved to Forks I wouldn't be worrying now. But scared as I was, I didn't regret about moving to Forks, and I probably never will. Because if I hadn't, I would never have had the perfect time I had before this mess.

Then the phone suddenly started to ring. All of us in the room gulped as I walked to the phone to see what happened, to make sure that no one had died.

**Hey guys it's me again! I'm starting another story out of complete boredom! I'm not sure how long this story will be, or exactly all of the event that will take place, so feel free to give me suggestions.**

**Animeaddict!**


	2. The Beginning of Trouble

**AN- I haven't been updating on my other stories much, but I've been having major writing blocks and I'm not sure when or if I'll finish them.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter One: The Beginning of Trouble.

Bella's POV

Forks Washington. The one place on Earth that I almost completely detested. One of the smallest towns I've ever been to, and also the gloomiest.

It was also going to be my new home.

I had chosen to move in with my father, Charlie, for the next few years. My mother had escaped from that tiny, ominous town when I was only months old. I was forced to go to that town every summer. Charlie had offered to take me on vacations instead, but I forced myself to go there for a certain reason.

I loved Phoenix I liked living with my mom, but it did get quite awkward when she married a young man. So now, I am at the airport getting ready to leave.

"Bella, you really don't have to move to Forks," My mother said for the millionth time.

I look like my mom almost. But Mom's a little harebrained, erratic, and talkative. The complete opposite of me.

"I know that, but I want to," I lied.

"But it'll be completely different there than it is here," She reminded me.

"Not completely, I know a few people," I shot back.

She sighed, "I know you do. Well, tell Charlie I said hi."

"I will."

She gave me a tight hug, "I love you, Bella," She whispered.

"I love you too, Mom," I smiled.

It was a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Forks. But the trip on the plane was better than the car ride with Charlie would be.

When it came to my personality, I was a lot like Charlie. I was clumsy, shy, and hated to talk about how I fell with him, as he does with me. It was always awkward being alone with him.

As expected, Charlie was at the airport waiting for me when I got off. When I was standing in front of him, he pulled me into an awkward type of hug.

"It's good to see ya, Bells," He whispered.

"Same here," I mumbled. He let go of me and took my only bag. We went to the parking lot and got into the police cruiser.

It was silent for a while. I could only hope that it would stay that way until we got home after the hour drive.

"So, Bells," Damn! "I got you a present," Charlie said not looking at me.

"Really?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah, It's at the house waiting for you," He said with an embarrassed look.

"Thanks" I said with a blush spreading on my cheeks.

I turned back to the window. I was raining of course. The scenery turned to a green color as we neared Forks. The rain seemed almost came to a stop as we reached the old, ramshackle house. But parked by the curb was an old Chevy truck. The paint wasn't good, but it looked sturdy and it looked like it would run.

"Whose truck is that?" I asked. It looked kind of familiar.

"Well do you remember Billy Black? My fishing buddy?"Charlie asked.

"Oh yeah! That's his truck isn't it?" I asked.

"Well it was. He's in a wheelchair now so he can't drive. So I bought it from him cheap, and now it's yours," Charlie said proudly.

I felt extremely happy, "Thank you so much dad! I love it!" I said happily.

Charlie blushed a deep red, "I just thought it'd be a nice welcome back gift. It's no big deal," He muttered.

He got out of the cruiser and opened my door for me. He opened the trunk and took out my bag. When we entered the house, I noticed that it hadn't changed one bit.

Charlie handed me my bag, "You gonna need any help?" He asked.

I shook my head, "No, I 'll be fine. Call me down when dinner's done." I told him as I climbed up the stairs.

"Will do," Charlie replied.

I walked into my room and set my bag down on my bed, and started to unpack. I looked at a calendar on the wall. Today was Sunday. I would start a new school tomorrow. How exciting.

It was twenty minutes later that Charlie called me down for dinner. He had done his best to make a nice dinner it looked like, but on the plates were hotdogs and two bowls with macaroni in them.

He gave me a sheepish look, "It's all I can really make," He said embarrassed.

I laughed, "It's ok. But how about I take care of cooking dinner from now on?" I asked.

Charlie sighed as he sat down, "That sounds like a pretty good idea," He said.

We started to eat in silence, but this time the silence was nice and peaceful instead of awkward.

"So," Charlie said trying to strike up a conversation, "are you excited about starting school?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, kind of. I'm a little nervous," I admitted.

"Well you'll have no problems. All of the kids around here are nice. You'll fit right in," Charlie assured me.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. And I'll probably get to see Angela and the others again," I said.

I'd met Angela Weber when I was little. She was easy to get along with. She was tall and plain, but she was really nice and shy. I haven't seen her since we were both twelve.

When we both finished eating, I washed the dishes. Charlie decided to help by drying them and then putting them away. I could tell that he was wanting to go watch a game on tv.

"Dad, why don't you go watch tv. I'll finish these myself," I suggested.

"You sure?" He asked with a tone of excitement.

"Of course I am. I'll finish these and them probably take a shower and go to bed," I told him.

He smiled. "Ok, if you're sure. Night kiddo," He left the kitchen, and the tv was turned on.

I finished in no time, and took a shower, and laid down to go to sleep. My thoughts swirled around how school here was going to be. I had a feeling that it would be like Charlie said it would be. Maybe he was right. I can only hope so.

Next Morning

I woke at the sound of someone knocking. I took a look at my alarm. It was five-forty in the morning.

"Bella," Charlie called, "are you awake?"

"Yeah," I called.

He opened the door and popped his head in. "Good morning. I just wanted to wish you the best of luck at school today before I left," He muttered embarrassed.

I gave him a small smile. "Thanks Dad. You have a nice day too," I told him.

He left my room and descended down the stairs as I stood up too get ready. Once I got into the bath room I heard cruiser pull away from the house.

I took a quick warm shower and got dressed in light blue sweater and jeans I brushed and dried my hair. I brushed my teeth and went downstairs into the kitchen. I didn't feel like eat breakfast so I decided to sit at the table and reread one of my favorite books _Wuthering Heights_. My copy was so old that every time I turned a page, I did it slowly as to not accidentally rip out a page.

After finishing a fourth of the book I decided it was time to leave. I put on my jacket and stepped out into the rain. I quickly ran to my new truck and blasted the heater as I pulled away from the house. I found the school easily, having passed it on the way home yesterday. The parking lot was almost completely empty, with the exception of a few cars. I made it down to the building that said "Reception Office".

It was warmer in the small building than it was out in the rain. I made my wait to the desk where an older woman was typing something into a computer. She looked up at my approach and smiled.

"Hello, dear, can I help you with something?"she asked.

"Um, I'm new here. My name's Isabella Swan," I told her.

As soon as she heard my name she smiled, "Oh! You're Charlie's daughter! I forgot you were coming to live here! I'm Mrs. Cope, and as your father requested, me and the principle haven't told anyone that you're coming!" She said excited.

I smiled timidly, "Thank you."

She started rifling through a folder and pulled out three pieces of paper.

"Here you are dear. We have your schedule, a school map. And have this paper signed by your teachers and bring it back at the end of the day if you would!" She said with a warm smile.

"Thanks, I will," I said.

"Well then, I hope you have a good day!" She said.

I smiled, "I'm sure I will!" I said with fake enthusiasm.

I exited the building and looked at my schedule. English with Mr. Mason in building three was my first class. I walked into building three and walked up to the teacher.

He looked surprised when I came up to him, as did everyone else. But he smiled and signed the paper and handed my the things I would need, a list of everything we would be learning this year, and told me to sit wherever I wanted to. I sat in the back of the class and looked at the list. It was the things I had already learned in Phoenix. I sighed already bored at the thought of reviewing all of this.

Once class started, I tuned out the teacher's voice as he took attendance. I knew that I wasn't the only one not paying attention. Pretty much everyone in the classroom was looking at me, wondering who I was, and how they didn't know of my coming here sooner. The only face I recognized was Angela's up in the front row. I smiled at her and she gave a friendly smile back. She didn't change much. Her brown hair was a little longer, flowing down past her shoulders, and her eyes were the same soft brown as they has always been. But she turned back around to pay attention to Mr. Mason. I decided to get lost in my thoughts.

So far school sucked here! But it was only my first class, so it could possibly get better. I already miss school at Phoenix. And I missed Renee as soon as I had gotten on the plane. But I would just have to adjust. Renee was adjusting to her new lifestyle of moving around with Phil, so I could adjust to this new lifestyle. I may not like it, but I will get used to it.

I jumped as the loud and shrill bell rung, signaling that class had ended. As I stood from my desk a boy with shaggy black hair and brown eyes came up to me. He almost looked like your average chess club type of guy, but there was something different about him that I couldn't place.

"Hi Isabella! My name's Eric Yorkie!" He greeted me with a smile. The teacher must have announced my name while I zoned out.

"Hello, Eric, It's nice to meet you. And please just call me Bella," I told him.

"Ok, Bella. So what's your next class?" He asked with genuine interest.

I looked at my schedule. "Um, I have Government with Jefferson in building six."

He smiled, "Alright, may I walk you to class?" He asked.

I knew I wouldn't have any trouble finding the class, but I said yes anyways. As we walked, all the kids that passed stared at me, surprised that they hadn't been told about me. Eric explained all about Forks High as we walked.

The day was flowing smoothly. After the news of Eric talking to me, a few other kids followed his example. There was one girl named Jessica Stanley, that sat by me in both Trig and Spanish. We were now in the cafeteria for lunch. Jessica had sat me with her friends and Angela.

As I sat eating, I go into the conversations, but I mainly talked with Angela.

"So, Bella, I didn't expect you to move here," Angela said in her soft voice.

"Neither did I, but here I am," I replied. We both laughed.

"How have you been?" she asked.

I sighed, "Pretty good. You?" I asked.

She smiled, "Same. But even if you didn't do much in Phoenix like you say, I still bet you have had a wilder life than I have," She said smiling widely.

I grinned, "Probably," I laughed.

She laughed too, but suddenly stopped. Then she suddenly started grinned wildly and looked like she wanted to laugh.

"What are you ginning about?" I asked.

I got my answer, but not from Angela.

"ISABELLA SWAN, WHAT ARE YOU WEARING, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" a familiar voice shouted.

I jumped at the sound. The entire cafeteria was quiet, looking towards me. I gulped as I turned around to see who I had hoped I would and wouldn't see.

My best friend, Alice Cullen.

**Finally I finished this! I don't know exactly how long it will be until I post another chapter, so bear with me on this.** **Also I might not update any of my stories for a while. I'm going though stuff right now and I don't have much free time anymore. But if you feel like it leave a review. I'm open for any suggestions on this story.**

**Animeaddict!**


	3. She's Back!

**AN- Hey Guys! This chapter will be in Alice's point of view and then back to Bella's. In the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer- I don not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 2: She's Back?!

Alice's POV

I opened my eyes wearily as I sat up from my bed. Of course there was no sunlight coming in from my window, but a little light peered in from under the clouds and into my room, casting a soft glow on everything. I blinked a few times, adjusting to light, and got up from my bed. As I stretched, I glanced at my alarm clock. It was five o'clock. I'm right on schedule.

I have a morning routine that is almost the same every day. First I get up at five, and I get myself ready for school. Then I wake up my brothers in some sort of awesome way. And finally we all go to school.

I took a long and hot shower and brushed my short hair into its usual spiky array. I left my bathroom in a towel and went into my closet to find my outfit for today. After twenty minutes of deciding, I chose a tight black shirt, dark blue jeans, and my favorite heels. For some unknown reason, today felt like it would be a good day. So good that I don't really want to go to school.

I left my room and smelt the smell of pancakes and maple syrup, with eggs and bacon. Mom was cooking. I walked briskly down the hallway to the door to Edward's room.

As I quietly opened his door, I could hear a soft melody playing. I couldn't place what it was, but I knew it was classical. When I looked in, Edward was sound asleep on his bed, the comforter laying on top of him perfectly. His bronze hair was in its usual mess around his face. He looked so peaceful.

I grinned as I took a deep breath and jumped onto his chest. "WAKE UP EDWARD!" I yelled.

Edward's eyes were open as soon as I had landed on him, and he winced as I yelled by his ear.

"Damn it Alice! Why must you be so loud in the mornings?" He groaned.

I smiled, "Because it's required for me to be loud so that you two boys wake up and get ready!"I responded.

Edward groaned again.

"I'm gonna go wake up the bear. Now I expect to see you downstairs by six-forty, and it will not be pretty if I have to come up here to get you," I warned.

Edward nodded, and I left as he started to get up. I went passed two doors before I reached Emmett's room.

I walked inside loudly. Emmett was on his bed, loudly snoring. The sheets were completely tangled around his body, and his tv was on and at a horribly loud volume.

I sighed. Typical Emmett.

I quickly left to my room, grabbed a cd, and hurried back to Emmett's. I strolled over to his cd player, put in the cd, and put it on pause. I turned it up to as loud as it would go. I picked up the stereo's remote and walked out of his room, almost completely closing the door.

I took one more look at Emmett. He was still asleep. I giggled as I pointed the remote through the crack of the door and pressed play.

The house started to shake as Barbie Girl, started to blare out from Emmett's stereo. Once it started playing, Emmett's eyes shot open.

"AHHHHHH! MAKE IT STOP! ALICE!"Emmett screamed over the song. I laughed even harder as he kept screaming.

I turned it off and reentered the room. "Good morning, sunshine!"

Emmett glared at me. "I hate you and everything you stand for," He muttered.

"I love you too. Make sure your downstairs by six-forty," I told him.

"Yeah, yeah," He mumbled.

I left his room and hopped down the stairs, two at a time. When I reached the bottom, the smell of breakfast was more defined. It was mouth-watering.

I walked into the kitchen. Mom was at the stove. Her wavy, caramel hair swayed gently down her back. When she looked at me, her stunning green eyes were shining.

"Good morning, Alice. I heard you waking up your brothers," She smiled widely as she set a plate down in front of me.

"Of course you did! Is Dad at work already?" I asked. I already knew the answer, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

"Yes, he got an early call today," She answered smiling. She turned back to the stove, but quickly turned back toward me, "By the way, your aunt Sasha called. She's thinking about bringing the girls down for a visit. Does that sound ok?" She asked.

"I smiled brightly. "That sounds perfect. I'm sure Rose would love to have Tanya and Irina to come shopping with us," I replied.

"Well, what about Kate?"

I sighed, "Kate never goes. She says she hates shopping with us."

Mother laughed lightly. Then from the living room came a soft melody being played on a piano. "There's Edward. Here," She handed me a plate of food, "take this in there to him please."

I nodded. "No problem, I'm done anyway," I said as I handed her my plate.

She gave me a look of disapproval. "Alice, you barely ate any of it. Don't you like it?" She asked.

"Of course I do! You're the best cook ever! But I'm just not hungry in the mornings," I told her.

She only sighed and turned back to the stove.

I took Edward's plate and entered the living room where he sat at the piano, his fingers flying over the keys. His hair was as messy as it was when he woke up. His green eyes were focused on his fingers. He wore a blue, collared, long-sleeved shirt and green jeans. He stopped playing at my approach.

"Good morning Alice. Didn't eat much did you?" He asked as he took his plate.

I sat down next to him on the bench. "How did you know?" I asked grinning.

He finished chewing before he spoke, "I heard you two arguing about it. You should eat more," He said as he took another bite.

"Hey, if she's not hungry, then she's not hungry!"

We turned around to see Emmett sitting on the banister. His brown hair was still wet from his shower. His blue eyes were shining as he smiled widely at us. His muscle shirt was a dark-green color. His jeans were blue and faded.

I smiled at him. "Thank you Emmett. At least someone understands what I mean," I thanked him.

"No problem! Now let's go into the kitchen, so I can eat," He said as he jumped from the banister, and we went into the kitchen.

As soon as Emmett had a plate in front of him, he started to shove the food in his mouth.

I smiled. I love my family. Edward and I are both seventeen-years-old, and are juniors at Forks High School. Emmett's a senior and is eighteen. Us three are what you would call the popular kids I guess. Both of them play football, and I'm a cheerleader. My brother's are also two of the leaders of the most popular gang in Forks.

Our dad's name is Carlisle Cullen. He's the head surgeon at the hospital. His job is the main reason why we're well off on money.

Our mom, Esme Cullen, designs houses. She loves it. She's said the best thing about her job is that it's always been a hobby of hers, and now she's getting paid for it.

"Oh, by the way. Jazz and Rose will be here soon," Emmett said while chewing. Our mother had left the kitchen and it was now only us three.

"How do you know?"Edward asked.

"Rose called ten minutes ago. She said the everything's set, and that we should be at school before lunch," Emmett informed.

"Is the rest of the gang coming?"I asked.

Emmett shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I do know that Eric isn't."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Of course he isn't. Unless he's violently throwing up, that guy never misses school."

Today, almost the whole gang was going to the mall. The guys were going to be shopping for supplies for the gang, while us girls would be clothes shopping. It was going to be awesome.

"Do you have our notes?" I asked Edward.

He reached in his pocket and pulled out three slips of paper. He gave me a smug look, "But of course."

"What car are we taking?" Emmett asked.

"Well since your jeep is the biggest car we've got, we'll probably drive that one," Edward said as he put the papers back in his pocket.

"Awesome! I'm driving!" Emmet exclaimed.

Then the doorbell rang, and we heard Esme open the door and let our visitors in.

The first one to walk in was Rosalie Hale, head cheerleader, and Emmett's girlfriend since eighth grade. She was the most beautiful girl in school. Her figure was statuesque. She was wearing a crimson long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. Her long blonde hair flowed down to the middle of her back. Her piercing blue eyes were like violets, as Emmett had once said. He was madly in love with her, as she was with him.

After her was Jasper Whitlock, the third leader of the gang, another star football player, and one of the hottest guys in the world. His stature was muscular, but lean. He's really tall compare to me, but then again who isn't? He was wearing a black shirt and grey jeans. His honey-blonde hair was in its usual disarray, slightly falling into his sapphire blue eyes.

Jasper smiled, "Good morning, all."

"Morning, Jazz. Sit down and eat. We got a lot to spare," Emmett said as he pulled Rosalie into the chair next to him.

"We only have a lot to spare because Alice barely eats," Edward stated, amusement staining his voice.

I glared at him, "No, it's because Mom makes a lot!" I shot back. The others laughed at us as they continued eating.

"By the way. Benjamin called. He said that Mike was going to pick up all the others, except Eric, and meet us at the mall," Rosalie said as she put her plate in the sink.

"Ok, so we will be back by lunch right?" Jasper asked her with one eyebrow raised.

"Yes, Jasper, for the millionth time! We will be back before or during lunch!" Rosalie snapped.

Jasper raised his hands in surrender. "Just making sure," He defended.

"Well, you've been just making sure ever since you walked to my house this morning, and it's getting annoying!" Rosalie snapped.

We all laughed as she glared at Jasper. The saying if looks could kill popped into my head.

"Well, are you two ready?"Edward asked.

Rose sighed, "I guess so," She replied standing up. We all followed her example and stood up, and left the kitchen.

"Mom, we're leaving!" Emmett yelled.

Our mom came into the living room. "Ok, you kids have a good day," She said with a smile.

"You too, Mom. Love ya, bye," Edward said as he opened the door. We left the house and Edward closed the door behind him. We walked over to the garage.

"'You too, Mom. Love ya, bye.', Dude you are such a momma's boy!" Emmett laughed pointing at Edward.

Edward glared at him, "Bite me!" Edward snapped.

Emmett grinned, "Where and how hard?" He asked jokingly. We all laughed at Emmett's response.

Edward only rolled his eyes and hopped into the backseat of the jeep. Emmett and Rose easily climbed into the front. If only it was that easy. Me being smaller, I couldn't even jump into the jeep. But before I could even attempt to jump in, two hands were on my waist. I looked behind me to see Jasper smiling down at me.

"Need a lift?" He asked.

I gave him a grin, "I you can lift me," I told him.

He scoffed, "Alice you weigh all of eighty pounds." And to prove his point, he picked me up and held me to his chest as he hopped into the backseat, his hold on me never faltering. He set me in the seat next to him with a smug smile.

"What's that look for?" I asked as Emmett pulled out of the driveway.

Jasper lightly laughed, "Oh, it's nothing, it's just you really are small," He said with a smile.

I gave him a mock glare, "Is that a bad thing?"

"Oh! No," Jasper amended, "it's a very nice quality to have," He gulped, "It's um . . . it's really cute." His cheeks turned a light pink, like I'm sure mine did.

Then Emmett reached back and smacked Jasper upside the head, "Dude, quit flirting with my sister!" He yelled, but we could all hear the amusement and see his grin.

Jasper glared, "I'm not flirting!"

Emmett snickered, "Then what are you doing?"

"I'm complimenting her," Jasper smirked triumphantly.

"Same thing!" Emmett scoffed.

"It is not!" Jasper argued.

"It is so!" Emmett said cooly.

"Just stop there Jasper," Edward cut in, "you'll never get him to say he's wrong."

"Because I'm right!" Emmett exclaimed.

We all rolled our eyes.

"You guys can roll your eyes all you want, but you know I'm right!" Emmett grinned as we all gave up.

At the Mall

When we got to the entrance of the mall, the others were waiting inside for us.

"Hey, guys!" Benjamin greeted happily.

Benjamin Riley is the youngest one in the gang being only 16 and a sophomore. His family came from Egypt when he was thirteen, so he was always ready to embrace anything of his culture, which included him wearing some neckless that had been handed down from past generations. His hair was short and black. His bangs didn't even reach his chocolate brown eyes. He was wearing a black flame shirt and blue jeans that sagged low on his hips. One of the best things about Benjamin was that he wasn't a giant to me like other guys were.

"Hey, Benny!" Emmett exclaimed loudly.

"It's about time you guys got here!" Garret laughed.

Garret Madison was one of the coolest guys. He's kind of like Emmett almost, but he's not a muscular, although he is just as tall and was also 18. Garret's hair is a sandy brown color and is pulled back with a low ponytail so it doesn't cover his bright blue eyes. His outfit was a blue shirt cover by an open orange jacket and blue jeans. Garret's how the guys keep up with what's happening to everyone around school. Garret being the openly nice guy that he is, talks to a lot of people and is completely loved almost everybody.

"He's just messing with you. We only just got here," Tyler commented, dodging Garret's elbow that was aiming for his side.

Tyler Crowley was the man to go to when you needed something. He either had it or knew how to get it. He has been a member of our gang since it was made. Now, like me, he is seventeen and a junior. His messy hair was jet black and barely hung into his sea-foam green eyes. He was wearing a red T-shirt and black jeans with matching wristbands. Tyler was a blast to be around. He always had ways to help throw an awesome party.

"You're not supposed to tell them that!"Garret complained.

"Like we didn't know!" Jasper laughed.

Garret rolled his eyes and pouted.

"Where's Mike and Ben?" Rosalie asked changing the subject.

"Bathroom," Benjamin responded.

"Well then let's go wait for them," Edward said, already heading toward the bathroom. We all followed him, talking and laughing as we went. We received a few stares from the adults around us, but we completely ignored them.

When we turned the corner to the bathrooms, we could see Ben Cheney, sitting on a bench. Ben was to say the least the tactician on the gang when it came to fights. After watching action movies all his life, he knew the best ways to handle certain situations. His short brown hair was a chocolate-like color. His thin framed glasses complimented his soft brown eyes perfectly. He wore a simple outfit of a black sweatshirt and grey jeans. Like me, he too was a junior.

"Hey, Ben!" Tyler called out.

Ben raised his head at his name being called. He smiled at our approach. "Hey guys! When did you get here?" He asked.

"Oh, about four minutes ago," Jasper sighed, "Mike still in there?"

Ben grinned. "Yeah, he's writing something about the dogs on the bathroom wall."

We all laughed at the thought. The dogs deserved it!

Then Mike came out the bathroom with a big smirk on his face.

Mike was a junior too. He wasn't the greatest guy, but he was fun to hang around with. His blonde hair was up in orderly spikes, his baby-blue eyes shone with excitement. He was wearing a black and yellow shirt and blue jeans with black wristbands.

He looked a little surprised as he stared at us. "Oh, hey, guys." His surprise didn't stop him from grinning.

"Hey, Mike. Did you write something good?" Emmett asked.

"Of course!" Mike exclaimed, acting as if he was offended.

Jasper grinned, "Can't wait to read it later."

"You will love it," Mike said smugly.

"Anyway," Edward turned the subject around, "Let's get what we need and go. From what I've heard from Rose, Jasper wants to be at school before lunch." Edward grinned in Jasper's direction.

Jasper scowled at him.

"Ok, ok. So how are we gonna do this?" Garret asked.

"I have an idea," I replied.

Everyone looked at me.

"I say, you boys go and get what you want, while Rose and I go shop for clothes?" I suggested.

"I like it," Rosalie commented with a smile.

All the boys rolled their eyes.

"Ok, that works. But why don't one of us boys go with you girls," Emmett said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Two reasons," Emmett held up two fingers, "One, for protection from other guys. And two, so that you have someone to carry all of your bags." Emmett finished with a grin.

"That's a great idea, Emmett!" Me and Rose exclaimed.

Rosalie gave him a quick kiss and Emmett's smile got bigger than it had been.

"So which of the boys should we take, Alice?" Rose asked. All of the boys but Ben cringed away.

"I'll go," Ben volunteered.

I smiled, "Thank you, Ben," I said.

"Ok, now that we've got that settled, let's all meet back at the entrance when we're finished," Edward told us.

Ben, Rose, and I split from the rest and headed for any store that had clothes. In a matter of seconds we were already handing things to Ben to hold.

"So how have you girls been?" He asked as he took a shirt from me and added it to his pile.

"Quite good. How about you? Have you asked Angela out yet?" I asked as I scanned the store for another shirt or another skirt I could try on.

Ben blushed a deep red at my question. "No."

"And why not?" Rosalie demanded.

Ben shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I haven't got around to it yet," He casually said as he averted his eyes.

"Oh, please." Rose rolled her eyes as she handed him a pair of jeans.

He sighed, "I'm just worried that she'll say no," He admitted.

"Well she won't," Rose said as we dragged him over to the dressing rooms.

"How do you know?" He asked.

"Because she likes you too," I told him as I trued on a pair of jeans with a red tank-top.

He was silent after that. Thinking about Angela most likely. He had been crushing on her since middle school and he still hadn't told her.

After we finished choosing the best outfits, we headed over to the cashier.

"So are you gonna asked her today?" Rosalie asked him.

"I don't know," He mumbled.

"Well if you should! That way you two can get out of the awkward situation you're in!" I told him.

"Like you and Jasper's situation is any different!" He defended.

I felt my face grow hot at his accusation. "What situation?" I asked.

"You two are always flirting," He replied.

"I have to agree with Ben on that one," Rose casually threw in.

"Do not," I muttered to myself.

We dropped the subject after that.

After a few hours of shopping, we decided to head back to the entrance. Ben's arms were covered with our bags, but he didn't complain or even show any of the strain it was probably putting on him. When we got to the entrance, the other guys were already there waiting.

"Well it's about damn time!" Emmett yelled, getting a lot of looks.

Me and Rose just smiled.

"Sorry," Ben apologized.

It must have been then that they noticed all the bags that Ben was carrying.

"Well, let's get out of here. Lunch will soon," Jasper replied taking some of the bags Ben was holding.

Ben gave him a look of gratitude.

We walked out to the parking lot and Ben helped us put all of our things in the jeep. We all piled in and the others got into Mike's van.

Emmett pulled out of the parking lot and took off down the highway.

At School

Once we got to school, we all went to the office to give them are notes. Mrs. Cope looked at them and sent us off to lunch. We all walked into the cafeteria laughing at the fact that she actually bought those notes. Once we got our lunches we sat down at our usual table, right in the center of the room. Already there, was Eric and Tia.

Tia was a sophomore and was also Benjamin's girlfriend of one year. She had come from Egypt during her freshman year and her and Benjamin automatically clicked. She was tan also. Her hair was long, fair, and raven black. Her eyes were a quiet brown that always seemed to have a gleam of excitement when Benjamin was around.

"Hey you guys," She greeted as we sat down. Benjamin smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah how was your trip?" Eric asked.

"It was awesome," Mike told him, and him and Tyler went into a description of our morning.

When they stopped talking, it was Tia who spoke, "Guess what. We got a new student tody!" She said with a little excitement.

We were all shocked. A new student? How come we hadn't heard about this?

"Really?" Garret asked perplexed. He always knew when a new student was coming.

"Yeah, nobody but Mrs. Cope and the principal knew about her arrival. She's sitting over by Angela," Eric said pointing to her.

Her back was facing us. Her hair was a silky brown. She was wearing a dull blue sweater and faded jeans. The outfit was hideous.

"You know she almost looks familiar," Emmett remarked.

Edward nodded, "Yeah she does, doesn't she?" But they dropped the subject and switched it back to the gang.

I kept staring at the new girl. I looked her over once more. A bad outfit, brown hair, average height, chatting animatedly with Angela. Thinking it over I knew automatically who it was.

It was my best friend, Bella Swan.

I was happy and excited, yet I was angry and upset that she didn't tell me that she was moving here. She knows I hated it when people kept things from me.

Without thinking it over, I abruptly stood from the table. The others all stared at me as I marched over to the girl the hadn't recognized yet. As I stood behind her, I could see Angela grinning upon my appearance.

I couldn't help but to yell, "ISABELLA SWAN, WHAT ARE YOU WEARING, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

The cafeteria was quiet and Bella slowly turned to face me with a look of shock on her face.

"Alice?" She said stunned. I smiled widely at her.

I quickly pulled her up and hugged her. "Bella! It really is you!" I let go of her to look at her. Her face now held pure joy as she stared at me. "What are you doing here?" I asked again.

"I decided to move here for the next few years," She replied a little breathless.

"Really? That's great!" I squealed, "Come on, you have to see Edward and the others. Now that they know it's you, they'll be dying to talk to you. And I can't remember if you have met the others I'm sure you haven't." I stopped and turned to Angela. "Do you want to join us?" I asked.

She smiled, "Thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine sitting here."

I smiled a devious grin, "Come on. You can sit by Ben," I teased. She looked like she was considering it.

Finally she sighed, "Ok, Alice, you win. That was a cheap trick, but nevertheless, it worked." She smiled.

I gave her s mile back, "I always get my way," I casually replied.

All three of us laughed as we walked to the others.

**Yay! I finished! Took less time then I thought it would. But that's good. So I don't know when I'll get another chapter done, but I get it eventually.**

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	4. Defending a Lady

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 3: Defending a Lady

Bella's POV

I couldn't believe it! It was really Alice. Alice has been my best friend since we were three. Charlie always went to Dr. Cullen's to chat and they always put us and her brothers together to keep us occupied. Every summer I always looked forward to seeing Alice, Edward, and Emmett. Alice was as I always remembered her. Short, spunky, and energetic.

When she brought me and Angela to her table, I could tell who was Emmett. He was a bear! He had always been big, but now he was just gigantic!

I knew who Edward was by his hair. I remember the messy bronze hair he's always had. He was still as beautiful as he was the last time I saw him. His skin was smooth and pale. His green eyes were surprised at our approach.

At the table, I could see a lot of kids that I didn't recognize. But Angela seemed to blush at the same time a boy at the table did. This must be Ben.

"Edward, Emmett, look! It's Bella!" Alice said, pulling me into view.

Emmett grinned wildly and stood up and pulled me into a tight bear hug.

"Bella! My most favoritist girl besides Rose!" He laughed excitedly.

"Emmett . . . can't . . . breath!" I choked out.

He grinned and put me down. He looked toward Edward. "Come on, Eddie, giver her a hug!" He teased.

Edward rolled his eyes, but stood up and pulled me into a soft embrace.

"It's good to see you, Bella," He whispered.

"Same here," I said quietly. He let go and sat back down.

The beautiful girl that was sitting next to Emmett coughed, "Um, Alice, introductions?"

"Oh, yeah! Guys, this is Bella Swan! Charlie's daughter," Alice introduced, "Bella, this is Rosalie, who is Emmett's girlfriend, Jasper, Ben, Mike, Eric, Benjamin, Tia, Tyler, and Garret." I couldn't help but notice how Alice's eyes had lingered on Jasper. Edward pulled out a chair for me to sit next to him, and Angela sat next to Ben.

"All of us make up the ever most popular gang called Twilight!" Emmett commented.

"Gang?" I asked.

Jasper nodded, and spoke and a smooth sounding voice, "That's right. In Benny's point of view, we are the protectors of this school," he clarified.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Protectors? Protectors from what?" I asked.

"From the other gangs in school," Edward answered.

"Well how many gangs are there?" I asked, surprised that there were more than one.

"Three, counting us. The others are full of complete jerks" Eric grunted.

It was Alice who changed the subject, "So, Bella, what made you decide to move here?" she asked, her eyes held her curiosity.

"My mom got remarried," I answered.

Emmett smiled, "Wow! That's awesome! But why would you move?" He asked.

I sighed, "He's a lot younger than her, and it just felt kind of awkward," I told them.

Edward nodded, understanding perfectly.

Alice on the other hand pondered that fact for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I can see how that would be awkward," She said.

"I understand fully how that is," Jasper confirmed. "It's not just awkward when a parent marries a younger person. It's also really awkward when you have a sibling that gets married," He paused and looked toward Alice, "At least when you don't really know the person they're married to."

I noticed that Alice's eyes were almost glued to Jasper's face.

"You have a sibling like that?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yep, my older brother Peter got married to a girl named Charlotte down in Houston when he started college. Wonderful girl, but it's still really awkward when it's just me and her in a room," Jasper replied.

"Your brother lives in Houston?"

"Yeah, that's our hometown. We moved here on account of my father's job. My brother has always missed that place, so when he got accepted to a college there, he jumped at the idea," Jasper explained.

"Do you miss it?" I asked.

"No," He shook his head, "I was only four when we moved, so I don't remember much about the place."

Then Emmett's hand suddenly slammed down on the table, making most of the people at the table jump.

"Bella, you haven't asked about me and Rose yet!" Emmett complained.

Edward and Alice relaxed and quickly rolled their eyes.

"Oh you just want to have an excuse to tell that story again," Alice pointed out.

Emmett ignored her, "So are you gonna ask?"

I sighed, "So, Emmett, how did you and Rosalie get together?" I asked.

He smiled, "Well it's a great story. We met once we started school. We became good friends, and once I entered middle school I finally realized how hot she was. So I immediately swept her off her feet, and we have been in love ever since," Emmett explained with a smile.

It was Rosalie that rolled her eyes this time.

"It didn't happen exactly like that," She interrupted, her voice sounding like chimes. "The friends part is, but not the sweeping me off my feet part. In middle school he started to continuously hit on me. And after I took notice of how hot he was, I finally gave in. It took him a whole year," Rosalie concluded.

We all laughed as Emmett pouted in his seat.

"I was close enough," he muttered.

"It's ok, Emmett," Rosalie said as she softly kissed him. His pout immediately turned into a grin.

The others all rolled their eyes.

Then a shudder worthy voice sounded from behind me.

"Sup, Alice?"

I turned around. Behind me, staring at Alice was a guy about Edward's size. His light brown hair was pulled back with a leather tie, staying out of his sinister grey eyes. He was wearing a green jacket and faded blue jeans.

All of the guys glared at him.

"Get the hell away from us, James!" Emmett growled.

James turned toward Emmett, and glare. "Was I talking to you, queer?" He ignored Emmett's snarl and turned back to Alice, whose face held a disgusted look. "How are you, Alice?" He asked again.

"Fine," She answered with a glare. "Now leave." She said calmly.

He smirked. "Aw, don't be like that," He snickered.

Jasper stood from his chair. "I believe the lady said leave," He snarled.

James straightened up and glared at Jasper. "So?" He asked mockingly.

"So leave," Jasper said calmly. By now, everyone was watching the fight, most looked like they were waiting for one to hit the other.

James grinned sadistically, "Are you gonna make me?"

"Yeah," Jasper replied, his jaw tight.

"Quit it, Jasper!" Alice interfered.

James laughed. "You heard the lady! Do as she says!" James laughed harder.

Jasper's jaw didn't relax and his glare never diminished, but he did in fact back away from James.

James laughed even harder. "You are such a bitch, letting a chick tell you what to do!"

Then, Jasper's fist quickly connected with James's jaw. James flew several feet back. He quickly stood up, wiping the blood from his mouth. James's fist smashed into Jasper's cheek, while Jasper's quickly slammed into James's gut. Both boys were on the ground in seconds, Jasper rubbing his cheek, James coughing and trying to catch his breath.

"What is going on here?!" everyone turned to the doors where Mr. Mason and another teacher stood.

Mr. Mason and the other teacher pulled both boys from the floor.

"Come on boys," Mr. Mason said helping Jasper up, "Let's get you to the nurse's and then the principle's. I'm guessing parents will be called."

With a little blood on his lip, Jasper grabbed his jacket from his chair and turned back to Mr. Mason.

"Wait, sir!" Emmett called.

Both teachers stopped and turned to Emmett.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?" the other teacher asked in a stern voice.

"Mr. Banner, Jasper was just defending my sister. He has no reason to be in trouble," Emmett said. The other guys all nodded in agreement.

Mr. Banner held his ground. "Be that as it may, it is the principle's decision. Now let's go boys." Mr. Mason and Mr. Banner led them both out of the cafeteria doors.

Emmett sat back down, exhaling loudly. "Damn it! That's totally crap!" Emmett exclaimed.

Alice quickly stood up, hurriedly pulling on her jacket.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked.

We all looked at her with anxious eyes.

"I'm going to the nurse's office," Alice explained.

"Why?" Benjamin asked.

Alice didn't answer. She just pushed in her chair, left her tray sitting on the table, almost completely untouched, and ran out the doors.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, "I have a slight feeling that she's going to make the situation worse." Edward sighed.

Emmett only laughed, "Probably!" He grinned at the thought.

"I hope Jasper's ok," Rosalie worried.

Garret scoffed, "Please! Jasper's tough! He'll be just fine. I think he should have kept hitting that asshole!"

Mike turned to face me. "We protect kids from those type of guys as protectors of this school," Mike confirmed, smiling gleefully at me.

I nodded my head in astonishment. I was still a little stunned from watching the fight.

"Bella," I quickly looked toward Edward, happy to be distracted from my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"What's your next class?" He asked smoothly.

I checked my schedule. "Biology with Banner," I answered.

Edward gave me a crooked smile. "So is mine. You wanna walk with me?"

I couldn't speak, so I just nodded like an idiot.

"Great. Let's go." He picked up both his and my tray, and quickly dumped them. He came back to the table and held out his hand. I eagerly took it and he lead me out the doors to Biology.

"So, how have you been?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Good. I'm still into music, still play the piano. Still single," He grinned at his last statement.

I was shocked. How was someone as beautiful as him single?

"Really?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Yep. No one had caught my eye."

We stopped in front of the Biology room and he opened the door for me. Almost everyone was already there. Mr. Banner was sitting at his desk. I quickly gave him my paper, a little intimidated by him. He signed it and told me that my permeant seat would be next to Edward.

School just got a lot better.

**I'm done! Cool! Alright, so next chapter will probably be about in Alice's Pov when she goes to the nurse's office. If you want to see this chapter in someone else's point of view tell me and I'll see what I can do.**

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	5. Nurse's Office

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 4: Nurse's Office

Alice's POV

I rushed to the nurses office, hoping I would get there before they took Jasper to the principal.

That boy is so stupid! I told him to stop but does he? No! He punches him! UGH!

When I got to the office door I stopped and gently opened the door. I walked in and gave a smile to Mrs. Cope.

"Hello, Mrs. Cope. Is Jasper still in the nurses?" I asked as sweetly as I could.

"Yes, both him and James. Why is there a problem?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No, Mrs. Cope, there's no problem. I'm just here to give Jasper the things he left at the lunch table," I lied. I was usually a really good liar and I hoped she would believe me.

Luck was on my side, "How sweet of you! He's right in there," Mrs. Cope gushed.

I thanked her and turned toward the nurse's door. With my back to her I could look as angry as I was.

When I opened the door, I could see the nurse tending to James. His chin was completely bruised and his lip was still bleeding. He was still breathing hard. Looking at him only made me angrier.

I turned to the right where a curtain cut off my view of whoever was sitting there. I briskly walked passed the curtain to glare at Jasper.

But when I saw his condition, my anger vanished. All that was left was worry. On his cheek was a large black, blue, and purple bruise. He looked up from his lap at my approach and his eyes were wide.

"Alice, what are you doing here?" He asked in astonishment.

I set my stuff down on the cot and sat next to him.

"Don't worry about that. Are you ok?" I asked.

"I'm fine," He said with confidence. But when he tried to grin he winced at the movement of his cheek.

"Fine my ass!" I muttered.

He rolled his eyes, which indicated that he had heard me. I ignored him and grabbed his chin. I turned his bruised cheek toward me. I moved my other hand and ran my finger across it gently so I didn't hurt him.

"Does it hurt?" I whispered.

He shrugged. "It stings a little every now and then, but its fine."

I sighed. Now was the perfect time to start arguing.

"Why did you hit him, Jasper?" I asked quietly.

Jasper gave me a bewildered look. "Did you not hear what he called me?" He asked.

"Yeah, I did. But I also asked you to quit fighting," I replied.

"He stepped out of line."

"No, you stepped out of line."

Jasper gave me a look of outrage. "How did I step out of line?" He demanded.

"Because you hit him! I told you to quit!"

"Well excuse me for defending you and being a gentleman," He glared hard at me, and I was sure that I was glaring at him, "I guess I won't make that mistake again!"

"I guess you won't!"

It became silent between us, both of us glaring at each other. I don't want to argue with him, but he is being so stubborn!

Finally, Jasper turned his head and sighed. "Look, Alice, I don't want to fight with you anymore," He paused and took a deep breath, "You are right. I was the first to step out of line. But I won't apologize for doing it." He gave me a sharp look.

I smiled, happy to stop fighting. "I don't expect you to. And thanks by the way," I sighed.

He looked at me, puzzlement on his face. "For what?"

I smiled sheepishly. "For defending me. It was really sweet."

He looked away, and I could see his good cheek turn two different shades of pink. He muttered something that sounded like no problem. I just smiled in response.

Our moment was ruined when the nurse pulled the curtain back.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked.

Jasper turned to face me, and he smiled tenderly. "Yeah, I'm ok now." I could hear both meanings of his words.

"Well then, you and James can go right to the principal's," She responded with a disapproving look.

Jasper's eyes never left mine. "Ok."

When he stood up, I followed him. James was already half way out the door. We left the nurse's and the principal was waiting outside the door to his office. He held open the door.

"All right you two. Go in and sit down," He commanded.

James glared balefully at him as he walked into his office. But Jasper complied without a word.

As the principal started to turn away, I spoke, "Wait!"

He turned back toward me. "Yes, Ms. Cullen?" He asked.

"Mr. Marceline, I know that Jasper started the fight, but he was only defending me. I understand that he has to get into some trouble, but can't you go easy on him?" I pleaded hopefully.

Mr. Marceline smiled softly. "I'll look at the situation from their sides and then I'll make my decision. But thank you for telling me." He turned around and closed the door once he was in his office. I stood where I was, not sure what I should do.

"Alice," Mrs. Cope interrupted my chain of thoughts and I almost thanked her for it. "you better get to class. I have a note for you."

I looked at the clock. Judging by the time, the bell had rung about seventeen minutes ago. I hadn't even heard it. I sighed and took the note out of Mrs. Cope's outstretched hand. I quickly left the office, hurrying to class.

I walked into Calculus right in the middle of a lecture. Mr. Varner gave me a stern gaze, but I brushed it off and gave him my note. Once I settled into my seat, he went back to his teaching today's lesson.

Once we started on our assignment, a note landed right in front of me. I looked up at Mr. Varner. He was at his desk, looking at papers. I quickly unfolded the paper and read it.

_What happened in the nurse's?_

_Ben_

I looked over to my left where Ben was sitting. He looked at me from the corner of his eye. I quickly wrote back, telling him that Jasper and I had, had a small fight. I threw it back to him.

After a minute, he sent it back.

_Is he ok?_

I wrote that he only had a bruise on his cheek before handing it back to him. We continued passing note back and forth until the bell rang. I stood up from my chair. Ben waited for me and walked out with me.

"Think he'll get into a lot trouble?" Ben asked.

"I hope not," I muttered.

"Well you told Mr. Marceline what happened, so he shouldn't go too hard on him," Ben reassured me.

I smiled at him. "Yeah, you're probably right."

We separated once we got to the Mr. Berty's class, which was my class. I sat in my usual seat near the front, and pulled out my note from yesterday. We're reading Romeo and Juliet, and we're having a test over it soon after we watch the movie.

I soon felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Angela smiling.

"Hey," She greeted.

"Hey. How was the rest of lunch?" I asked. I was hoping that she wouldn't ask about the nurse's office. I didn't want to explain what happened again.

Thankfully, she didn't. "It went pretty well. We left for our classes a few minutes after you left. Edward walked Bella to Biology," She answered.

"Really? He walked her?" I asked. I almost don't believe it. Edward was usually a total ice cube when it came to girls.

Angela smiled. "Yeah, they sat together too. They were talking most of the class time. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't finish the reading," She informed.

I grinned at this news. Me and Emmett always had a feeling that Edward had a crush on Bell. And with a little luck, I can get those two together.

**Ok, I know that it's short, but I didn't think I could make it any longer. The next chapter will go back to Bella's point of view. I think that a lot of this story will be in her point of view, but I'm not totally sure. Jacob will be in the next chapter. Not the other Quileuets, just him. The others will be in the chapter after that.**

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	6. Jacob Black

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 5: Jacob Black

My first day of school has gone really well. Biology was a blast! I had always loved talking with Edward and after all these years I still do. The only bad part was how Gym had gone, but that was inevitable. When I got out of the girl's locker room, Mike was waiting. Mike was actually a pretty cool guy. He was funny. Whenever the chance was there, he talked to me.

We walked to the doors, him chatting animatedly. But when we got out the doors, he stopped talking when he saw who was waiting.

It was Edward.

"Hey, Edward!" Mike happily greeted.

"Hey, Mike. Hello, Bella," Edward gave us a crooked smile that I instantly loved.

"Hi," I said back, my cheeks a little hot.

"Mike, if you don't mind, I'm going to steal Bella from you," Edward said, grabbing my hand. The contact of skin sent electric currents all throughout my body.

Mike looked a little upset, but he quickly smiled. "Ok. See you tomorrow." He waved as he walked away from us.

I looked back toward Edward, and he was staring at my face. I lost every thought in my head. My cheeks quickly heated up, but I couldn't look away.

"Bella, do you need a ride home?" He asked.

His velvety voice shook me out of my trance and I quickly tried to answer him.

"Um . . . no, I uh . . . have a truck," I stuttered. I wish I'd just stayed quiet.

He looked a little disappointed, "When did you get a truck?" He asked.

"Charlie got it for me. He bought it from his friend Billy Black," I told him. As I stared at his face, I saw his jaw tighten as I said Billy's name. Did Edward know him? Well he probably did. Everybody knew everybody in this town. But why would he tense at his name.

But he quickly relaxed. "Well then, may I walk to you truck?"

I blushed, but answered, "Ok."

I lead the way through the parking lot, heading toward my truck. When we got to it, he whistled.

"That is one fine automobile," He laughed.

I gave him a glare. There was nothing wrong with my truck.

"It's a great truck!" I defended.

"Does it even work?" He asked.

"Yes! It works just fine!"

He stopped laughing, but his was still grinning. "Ok. I'm sorry. It's good that you have some way of transportation. But if I may ask, may I pick you up and take you to school tomorrow?" He asked smoothly. I couldn't speak. I couldn't believe that he actually asked me that. He really wanted to pick me up?

"Umm . . . sure," I mumbled.

He gave me his beautiful crooked smile. "Great. I'll see you tomorrow morning." And with that, he turned and quickly walked away.

I got into my truck, but before I started it, I looked the way Edward had left. I saw him, Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie all getting into a big ostentatious jeep. Edward was looking in my direction. I quickly looked away and started my truck. It's deafening roar was a comfort and it helped me get my thoughts back into place. I pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.

Even with my truck it was a quick drive. I quickly headed inside to get out of the rain. I took off my shoes and jacket and walked into the kitchen. A note sat on the table.

_Bells,_

_Billy and his son Jacob are coming over for dinner tonight. Make enough dinner for 4._

_Love ya, Dad_

I sighed and threw the note away. I remembered that Billy had three kids. Two daughters and one son. His daughters were about two years older than I was. But I couldn't ever remember meeting his son Jacob. If I remember right, he's a few years younger than I am.

I quickly decided to get my homework done. I had no idea how long Billy and Jacob would be here for. But it being my first day, left me with barely any. I decided on spaghetti for dinner. While stirring the noodles, the phone rang. I leaned over and picked it up.

"Hello?" I talked into the receiver.

"Hey, Bells, its Dad. Did you get my note?" He asked.

I nodded even though he couldn't see it. "Yeah, I got it. Is spaghetti ok for dinner?"

"Yeah, that would be great!" I could hear his voice dripping with enthusiasm.

"Ok. Was there anything else you needed?" I asked.

"No, I was just checking to make sure you got the note. Did you run into Alice at school?" He asked eagerly. Charlie had always liked Alice the most out of all three of them.

"Yeah, I ran into her, her brothers, and all of their friends. They're all really nice."

"I told you that you'd do fine. Was your first day good?" He asked.

"It was good up until gym." I kind of lied. It wasn't good until it got to lunch, and I hoped that Charlie wouldn't catch it.

But Charlie only laughed. "Yeah, with your clumsiness, I can understand that. Well, I'm gonna get off of here. I'll see you at home. Love ya, Bella."

"Love you too, Dad." I hung up the phone.

Dinner was practically done, so I decide to wait by picking up where I had left off in _Wuthering Heights_.

I was almost finished with it when the doorbell rang. I placed my bookmark in place and quickly left to get the door. I opened it, hoping to get them out of the rain.

Billy was as I had always remembered him, only now he has a wheelchair. His black hair was dull and messy, and his onyx eyes were friendly yet stern.

Behind him was a giant of a guy, I even though this had to be his son, I couldn't believe it. He had to be six-foot-four, maybe taller. His black hair was shaggy, almost reaching passed shoulders. His ebony eyes held a friendly gleam. His face held an infectious smile.

"Hello, Bella! It's great to see you again!"Billy greeted. I moved over, so he and his son could come in. When they were in, I gave Billy a friendly hug.

"Hey, Billy! It's great to see you too!" I enthused. And it was. The tall boy cleared his throat.

"Oh, yeah. Bella, this is my son Jacob. He's a year younger than you. He's a sophomore at your school. Jacob, this is Bella." Billy introduced.

Jacob held out his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Bella. Charlie talks about you a lot. I probably would have seen you around, but me and my friends had to miss school today." Jacob explained. I figured as much, because there was no way I could have missed this giant at school.

"It's nice to meet you too, Jacob," I turned to look at Billy, "Charlie isn't home yet, but he should be any minute. Make yourselves at home."

But before they could say anything, we heard Charlie running up onto the porch. He walked in with a smile on his face.

"Billy! Jacob! You beat me here!"Charlie exclaimed.

"Hey, Charlie!" Billy and Jacob both greeted. After that, Billy and Charlie were in their own conversation.

Thinking that Jacob would soon join in on their talk, I left to the kitchen to check on the noodles, but Jacob followed me quietly. And as I stirred the noodles, we were quiet, for a minute.

"So, do you like it here?" Jacob asked, looking at the floor.

I shrugged. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be," I admitted.

Jacob nodded. "It's great here! I love going to school here. Well, at least most of the time." At the end of his sentence his smile was grim.

"What's with that face?" I asked in a teasing manner. "Could there possibly be something bad here in Forks?"

Jacob laughed, but that smile never left his face. "Well, there is something. But you wouldn't want to know," He replied.

"Oh, but I do. I'm curious. What are you talking about?"

Jacob just shook his head. "I wouldn't want to bring you into it."

Now I was a little worried. "What are you talking about?"

He gave me a sheepish look. "Are you sure you want to know?" He asked.

"Yes. Why, is it bad?" I was puzzled. What could be so bad and scary in Forks?

Jacob hesitated before speaking, "Well, were there ever any gangs in Phoenix that you knew of?" He inquired.

I could only nod. The word gang brought me in mind of Edward and the others. I had a bad feeling that I knew where this was going.

He took a deep breath. "Well, I happen to be a member of a gang here. It's made up of other guys that live on the reservation," He paused for a minute, "Well, there's actually a girl in our gang, but only one. We call our selves the Quileute Werewolves. In fact, this jacket and shirt I'm that I'm wearing are symbols that I'm a member," He declared with a broad smile.

I finally took into account of what he was wearing. His jacket was a reddish brown russet color. The shirt under it was jet black. It read Quileute Werewolves, and in the middle of the two words was the head of a wolf. The coloring of the wolf and the letters was the same color as his jacket.

When I looked back up to his face, his smile had disappeared into a look of worry. "Is there a problem that I'm in a gang?" He asked, disappointment staining his voice.

"Well, no . . . it's just that . . . ," I hesitated. Should I tell him that I was friends with the members of another gang. They could hate each other, or they could be allies. I decide not to say anything about it. If they did or did not like each other, I would find out sooner or later. "I'm just surprised is all." It wasn't a total lie. I was a little surprised that he was a gang member.

"So, you have no problems with this?" He asked. I could see the hope on his face as he smiled again.

"Nope," I replied.

"That's great!" He exclaimed with a goofy grin.

I grinned too. It really was infectious.

"So, how does that make some things here bad?"I asked, remembering his grim smile.

"Oh, nothing," He shrugged casually, "It's just that some of the other gangs are troublesome and annoying."

Now was the perfect time to ask. "Like who?" I asked innocently.

"Like this stupid gang called Twilight," He muttered.

I almost dropped the spoon, but I forced myself to keep a straight face and to keep stirring. "Why are they stupid?" I asked, trying to keep the offense out of my voice. What was wrong with my best friends?

"They think they're some much better than the rest! Calling themselves the protectors of the school!" Jacob ranted. "You might have even seen them. They all sit together. Everyone says they're all really good looking and smooth, but we think that they're just annoying."

I had to swallow the panic that tried to surface. "Really?" I asked. My voice strained on the end, and I hoped that he wouldn't notice.

He must not have, "Yeah, they're all like that. But you wanna know which one I hate the most?" He asked.

I gulped. "Um, sure. Who?" I asked.

His voice and the name came out in a hateful sneer. "Edward Cullen."

I froze.

"Hey, Bells, is dinner ready?" I thanked the heavens as Charlie and Billy came in, immediately giving me a distraction.

I looked at the noodles. "Yeah, it is. Just let me get out the plates," I told him.

"Here, I'll get 'em," Jacob said, taking the plates and silverware out and handing them to me. We both quickly got dinner on the plates, and the plates on the table. Once we all settled to eat, it was Charlie who started talking.

"So, what were you two talking about in here?" Charlie asked. This question seemed to peak Billy's interest.

Jacob shrugged. "Nothing, just school, and about my gang," Jacob said casually.

Charlie gave him a stern look. "You weren't talking trash on the Cullen kid's gang were you?" He asked, his voice hard as stone.

But Jacob laughed freely. "Nothing too horrible!" He answered with a grin.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Those kids are nice, Jake. You have no reason to be hateful toward them," Charlie scolded.

It was Billy who spoke next, "Aw, leave it alone, Charlie. Kids will be kids. And since you and Bella happen to be good friends with the Cullens, I know Jake will be polite." Billy gave Jacob a stern look.

I looked over at Jacob too. He was looking at me, shock written all over his face. But his face quickly smoothed out. "Of course I will! I'm sorry I did before! I knew Charlie was friends with their dad, but I didn't know . . . " He trailed off in embarrassment.

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "It's ok, Jake, you didn't know. And just so you know, I do know the Emmett can be a little annoying." I joked.

That statement even made Charlie laugh.

"I can't argue with that! But have you seen that boy yet, Bella?" Charlie asked.

I nodded.

"Big isn't he?" Charlie asked with a laugh.

I nodded again. I wouldn't have used the word big. I would have said monstrous, but big would suffice.

"Yeah, I sat with him and the others at lunch today. Alice dragged Angela and me over to their table to sit with them."

That made Charlie laugh. "No surprise that she'd be happy to see you. And knowing Alice, she'll probably make you sit with her every chance she gets," Charlie stated.

"I don't doubt that," I muttered.

"If that's the case," Jacob finished chewing and looked at me, a mischievous grin on his face. "I may have to kidnap you from their table sometime."

We all laughed, but it still made my feel a little worried.

Billy and Jacob left after a few hours. Jacob had promised to introduce me to the rest of his gang tomorrow at school. I was silently dreading the idea of school tomorrow. I took a quick shower and climbed into bed, hoping to go to sleep. But even though I was dreading tomorrow, I couldn't help but be kind of excited because Edward would come to pick me up in the morning. The thought sent me into a blissful slumber.

**This chapter turned out really good. It finished quicker than I thought it would. As I said, the next chapter will introduce the rest of Jacob's gang, and a little bit of fighting between the two gangs, but not a big fight.**

**Animeaddict**


	7. Quileute Werewolves

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 6: Quileute Werewolves

Bella's POV

The morning came too fast for my liking. I would meet Jacob's gang today. If I know Jacob like I kind of already do, he'll do it during school, when I'm with one of the Cullens. A sudden feeling of happiness washed over the dread. Cullen. Edward. He was coming to pick me up this morning.

My smile lasted on my face as I went into the kitchen, to make my cereal. Charlie was still here.

"Hey, kiddo, what's got you smiling?" He asked. He was putting together a lunch to take to work. But he was doing it slower than I thought he would.

"Almost time for work?" I asked, sitting to eat my cereal.

Charlie shook his head. "I don't have to leave in another ten minutes. You're just up earlier than normal," Charlie told me.

I looked at the clock. He was right. Edward probably wouldn't be here for another twenty to twenty-five minutes. This morning was starting to suck.

Charlie sat down across from me, his lunch sitting on the counter still.

"So, you plan to talk to Jake today?" He asked.

I looked at him, surprised. "Yeah, of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" I asked.

Charlie shrugged. "Well, you've known Alice and the others longer, and she is your best friend. I just figured that since they hate Jake that you wouldn't want to talk to him."

I laughed to hide that I was nervous. "Charlie, if I want to talk to Jake, than I will. If Alice has a problem with that, then too bad," I teased.

Charlie laughed too. "Be carful, Bells. That girl is a hazard, wether she means to be or not. I watched that girl grow up, I know how she can be," Charlie warned. The grin on his face made him seem like he was still in his twenties, and I could see the man my mom had run off with.

The silence that followed started out peaceful, but quickly turned awkward. I stood up from the table, glad to not have to sit, and put my bowl in the sink. Charlie stood up too.

"Well, I'm gonna leave a little early. See you when I get home, Bella." And Charlie was out the door.

I couldn't help but sigh in relief. I hated being alone with Charlie sometimes. The downfall of waking up early.

Think hard about this, I jumped when I heard a horn honk. I looked out the window. In the driveway, waiting for me, was Edward. I looked at the clock. He was earlier than I thought he would be.

Eager to leave the house, I slipped on my jacket and shoes, grabbed my bag, and left the house. When I got close to the car, Edward stepped out.

"Good morning, Bella. I hope I'm not too early, but I thought it would be nice to get there early so it can be just me and you before the others get there," Edward explained as he walked around to the passenger side and opened the door.

"Oh! Well, that's fine with me. Your timing was perfect this morning," I said, getting settled in.

He walked around to his side and got in. He pulled out of the driveway and started down the road.

"So, how was your evening?" He asked, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

I shrugged. "It was really fun. Charlie invited Billy and Jacob over for dinner, and I hung out with them."

He tensed as soon as the names had come out of my mouth. "Jacob Black?" He asked, his jaw tightened, but he quickly relaxed it.

Ok, so, mentioning Jake hadn't been a good idea, but it was too late now. "Yeah." I replied keeping my face calm.

He was still tense. "Of the Quileute reservation?" He asked.

I gulped. "Yeah, him."

I took in his response. At first, he looked furious. His jaw was tight, his eyes glaring out the windshield. The next second, he was completely relaxed. It was like he was never mad.

"Did you guys have fun?" He asked, perfectly serene.

"Yeah, it was great talking with him. He's really funny." I smiled. It was true. Jake was a riot.

Edward smiled like he was thinking of a joke. "Well, that's good. Does Jacob plan to talk with you today?" He asked.

I looked at him. He didn't look or sound angry at the thought, just completely curious.

"Um, I don't know. He might." I wasn't really lying. With me hanging around the Cullens, Jake might decide not too. But I knew that he most likely would.

Edward only nodded in response. "Well, what did you two talk about?"

"Oh, lots of things. School, his gang, Phoenix, his sisters...," I trailed off, not remembering what else was said.

Edward grinned wryly. "Did you talk about us?" He asked.

I was nervous so my answer came out in a whisper. "Yes."

I was shocked when he laughed loudly. "Is that so?" He asked. "Well, what did the mongrel say about us?"

I scowled at the name, but ignored it. "Not much. He dropped the subject when he found out I was friends with you. He didn't want to offend me."

Edward chuckled again. Then he looked at me. I noticed that we were parked in front of the school. It was almost completely empty. "Did he say anything about me?" He looked hopeful for some reason I couldn't place.

"Yeah."

"What did he say?"

I hesitated, than answered, "He says he hates you the most."

Edward laughed again.

"What is so funny?" I asked. Why would that be funny?

Edward shook his head, the grin still in place. "Nothing, it's just funny that he hates me the most. I already knew, but it's still funny to here it," Edward explained.

"What's so funny about him hating you?" I asked.

"Because out of all of their gang, he irritates me the most."

I gulped. "Why?"

Edward shrugged. "He's just annoying sometimes." he looked straight at me, "But let's change the subject. Since Jacob is your friend, I'll refrain from saying anything unnecessarily mean. But I can't say that about the others." His grin got wider.

"Ok then. I can handle that." I replied, happy to change the subject.

"Well, what would you like to talk about?" He asked.

I pondered this. Than I got an idea. "What happened to Jasper. How much trouble did he get into?" I asked. I didn't ask about that James guy. His chilling voice still made me shiver.

Edward snickered. "Nothing horrible. Just suspended until next Monday. I guess James is suspended until next Thursday." I noticed his jaw tightened a little when he said his name.

"What's up with that James guy? It seemed like you all hated him yesterday." I had to ask, because their faces didn't show dislike, but pure hatred.

Edward grimaced. "He's a complete ass who constantly hits on Alice. We trust him just as about as far a Eric could throw him, which believe me isn't far. But Alice hates him too, so we don't worry about her giving into him," He explained.

"Ok, well I understood why Jasper stood up for her, any of you would. And I would've understood if it had been you or Emmett to throw a swing at him. But why did Jasper throw a punch. I mean there has to be a more important reason other than what he said?" I had a theory, but I wanted to be sure.

Edward's grin came back. "Well, Jasper has been in love with Alice since he started high school, but he still hasn't told her. And I can tell she feels the same. Emmett denies is, but I can see it."

I tilted my head. "Why does Emmett deny it?" I asked.

Edward snickered again. "Well, Emmett doesn't like the idea of Alice and Jasper together. Not just because she's our little sister, but he doesn't like the idea of his best friend dating his little sister. He says its breaking a guy rule." He rolled his eyes a the mentioning of the rule.

I smiled. "What about you? Do you have a problem with it?" I was truly curious. What did he think about his best friend with his sister.

He sighed. "Well, I don't like the idea of my baby sister being with anybody. But I'd rather it be Jasper than anyone else. I know that I can trust Jasper."

"Really?" I asked with a grin.

Edward grinned too. "Yeah. But Jasper won't make a move. He's afraid Emmett will kill him, or that Alice will reject him."

I laughed. "What does Jasper say about Emmett's 'rule'?" I asked.

"He kind of agrees. Jasper has a little sister, so he can see what Emmett mean by that rule." Edward explained.

Jasper hadn't mentioned that he had a sister. Just a brother. I shrugged it off.

"I have a question." Edward stated, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"Yes?" I asked.

He was quiet for a moment, then continued, "My cousins are coming to visit this weekend. I was wondering if you would want to come over to meet them?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Sure, I can come over. I'd be nice to meet them. How many are coming?"

"Well, our aunt is bringing her daughters. There are four of them and one is married. So six people," He said.

"What are their names?"

"Our aunt's name is Sasha. Her daughters from oldest to youngest are, Carmen, Kate, Irina, and Tanya. And Carmen is married to an awesome guy name Eleazar."

"Well, I would love to meet them," I said.

He smiled a crooked smile, and I had to smile back. Staring into his eyes made every other thought melt away. I couldn't even look away.

A sharp, loud tap on the window behind me made us both jump out of our skin. Edward looked up and scowled. I turned my head, fearing who it would be.

It was Emmett. He tapped on the window a again and made a gesture for Edward to roll down the window. Edward sighed and rolled it down.

"What, Emmett?" He asked, irritation evident in his voice.

Emmett just grinned. "Get your ass out of that car! We're all here!" He exclaimed.

Edward rolled his eyes at his brother's excitement, but I laughed and got out the car. Edward got too, but with more grace.

Emmett smiled at our surrender and grabbed my wrist, pulling me along. Edward followed behind us, completely relaxed. His bronze hair falling in front of his beautiful green eyes. I looked up at Emmett. His dark curls contrasting with his bright blue eyes shining with excitement.

"Were are we going?" I asked, slightly afraid of the answer I would get.

Emmett looked back at me and smiled. "Don't worry, Bella! I'm just taking you to our normal before-school hangout which is right behind the school," He explained.

He wasn't lying, because as soon as we turned the corner, the others excluding Jasper, were all there, waiting.

"Bella!" Alice skipped over and hugged me, and let me go before I could blink.

"Hi, Bella!" Mike, Tyler, and Eric greeted. The rest greeted me with enthusiasm, just not as much.

"Hey," I greeted back. I wasn't used to all the attention.

"Hey, I have a question for you Bella," Ben stated, looking up from his comic as he spoke.

"What is it?" I asked.

"What's your first class?" He asked.

I was actually surprised by the simplicity of the question. "Oh, I have English."

Alice's face lit up, her emerald eyes shining. "That's great! Me, Edward, Mike, and Eric all have that class too!" She beamed.

Edward laughed at her unneeded excitement.

"Oh, Edward, did you tell her about the party?" Benjamin asked.

I looked at Edward. "What party?" I asked.

"Emmett, Alice, and I are throwing a party this weekend. I was supposed to ask you to come, but it sorta slipped my mind. So, do you wanna come?" He asked

I couldn't say no. "Sure, sounds fun!"

"Of course it's gonna be fun! It's a party!" Alice squealed.

"And," Emmett cut in, "It's gonna be thrown by us. It'll be a blast."

Rosalie sighed. "And so you aren't confused later on, their throwing it at my house. My parents are taking my brothers on a mini-vacation this weekend," She explained.

I looked back towards Edward. "But I thought that your cousins were coming this weekend?"

Edward nodded. "Yeah, they are. It's like a welcome back party. Eleazar used to be part of our gang. It's always better to have a big blowout to welcome them home," Edward said with a smile.

"Oh," It was still a little confusing, but it made more sense than it had before.

"Wait, before I forget," Edward spoke loudly so that they were all looking at him. "We need to be ready to see the pack of dogs today."

They all hissed, including the girls.

"Why?" Benjamin demanded.

"Well, Bella happens to be friends with one of them. He might want to talk with her today." Edward replied.

Emmett shot a look at me. "Which one?" He asked.

This time, Edward hissed, "Jacob Black."

They all groaned, and Rosalie scoffed in disgust.

It was Alice who spoke next. "Well, I guess it's better than that idiot, flea-bitten Paul," She grumbled. Everyone but Edward and Rosalie seemed to agree with her.

I waited for one of them to ask why I was friends with one of them, more expecting Emmett to ask than any of the others, but no said a thing about it. They all continued to what the had been doing. It was as if Edward had never spoken.

The bell rang a shrill screech, and we all left, eventually splitting into groups as we headed to our classes. Mike and Tyler were repeatedly pushing into each other, trying to knock each other down. Alice was chattering on about anything and everything. Eric was reading a book as he walked. And Edward was silent as he walked next to me. When we reached the classroom, Edward held the door open, allowing us to enter before he did. Alice dragged me, to a seat near the back. She sat to my right, and Edward quickly sat on my left. The other three sat right in front us, Mike sitting in front of me. Mike and Tyler were still messing with each other, throwing pencils at each other. They were all serene.

Then a single girl walked in, and they all slightly tensed as she sat in the farthest seat from us. I took in the girls appearance. Her skin tone was the same as Jacob's. Her eyes a pale black color, her long hair jet black. I knew instantly why they had tensed. She had something to do with the Quileutes.

I wondered if she was the girl Jacob had said to be the only girl in their gang. I scanned over her again. She didn't look lethal. She looked harmless.

I turned to face Alice. "Who is that?" I asked.

Alice gave a quick grimace, but it quickly disappeared. "That's Kim. She's Jared's girlfriend."

"And this Jared is a member of the Quileutes?" I asked.

Alice nodded. "Yeah. Of all the mongrels he's the least most horrible. He at least knows when to keep his mouth shut," She grumbled. Her tonne made it sound like she hated giving him a complement.

I wanted to ask her what made them hate the Quileutes so much. What had they done? Had something happened between them? Was it really just bad blood, or was there more? I had talked with Jacob, and I thought he was really cool. Was my judgment off?

I thought more on the subject, no bothering to listen to Mr. Mason talk about something I had probably already learned. I thought about Jacob, and wondered if he really would come up to us at lunch. The large feeling of dread washed over me again, consuming all of my thought.

The day had yet to be eventful. I had seen Jacob and what I thought to be other members of his gang around, but Jacob didn't even acknowledge me. It was lunch, and Alice and Emmett, made me sit with them again. We all talked and laughed casually.

But my luck had finally run short.

"Hey, Bells!" Jacob called from across the room.

Everyone visibly tensed as Jacob approached us. I gulped and nervously waved over to him.

When he got to us, he completely ignored the others around us. "How's your day been?" He asked.

I smiled timidly. "Pretty good."

"That's good," He said. He took a quick glance around the table. "Hey, why don't you come sit with us today. You can meet the rest of my gang," He suggested eagerly.

"Do you want to her to get fleas?" Rosalie sneered.

Jacob's flashed a dark glare in her direction.

"Was I speaking to you Blondie?" He asked with contempt.

Emmett growled. "What did you call her?!"

Jacob directed his glare at him. "What? Is your brain to small to comprehend that?" He taunted.

Emmett rose out of his seat, his stance was one of a fighter's.

"Calm down, Emmett!" Edward commanded. Emmett looked at me. Then he relaxed and sat down, but kept his glare. Jacob glared right back at him.

"Listen here, Mutt," Emmett's tone was deadly calm and lethal. "If you _ever _talk to my girlfriend that way again, I will rip your throat out to make sure you don't do it again. Have you got me?" Jacob was tense with slight fear in his eyes. No one mocked him for it. Almost everyone at the table had fear in their eyes. All excluding Rosalie, who looked at Jacob with a smug grin.

Jacob turned away to look at me, and his eyes softened. All fear gone. "So how 'bout it?" He asked, hope in his eyes.

"Well," I hesitated, looking around the table. They all looked at me. "I think I'll stay here. But I'd be glad to meet them later," I amended as soon as his face fell.

At the mention of later, his face brighten. "Ok! We'll come by your place later!" He looked behind his back for a moment, and then looked back at me. "Well, I'm gonna go back. See ya later, Bells." He waved and headed back to the rest of his gang. I looked at their table. All of the boys were tall! Jacob was one of the tallest, only smaller than one of them.

A bang made me jump and turn back to the others. Emmett was snarling, breathing heavily in anger. "God, I hate that kid! I should of beat the living shit out of him!" He growled.

"Calm it down, Emmett. He's Bella's friend. Don't get so upset," Edward soothed.

Emmett stared at him in shock. "Don't get so upset? Did you not hear what he called my girlfriend?" He demanded.

"Well it wasn't far from the truth," Edward muttered.

And Alice rolled her eyes. "Now I see were Jasper learned his ways from," She mumbled.

Emmett continued. "I should have socked him in the face. But no! I listened to you!" He ranted. He slammed his head down on the table, making the trays jump along with the kids around us.

Rosalie rub his quivering should soothingly. "Emmett, it's fine. It's not that big of a deal," she soothed

Emmett lifted his head slightly to look at her from the corner of his eyes. He took in her calm face and her small smile. He straightened up and exhaled loudly, loosening up his shoulders.

He looked over at me with a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to blow up like that. Forgive me?" His lower lip jutted out, pulling his face into an adorable pout. How could I not forgive him?

I laughed, "It's no problem. Emmett. It wasn't just your fault, and I'll make sure that Jacob knows that."

Emmett laughed loudly. "Good! That mutt needs to me put down. It'd do him good to be out on a leash for a bit!"

Everyone laughed at his analogy.

But then Emmett looked back at me, apologetic again. "Sorry about the name calling. It's kind of a habit. I'll try to stop," He apologized quickly.

I smiled. He was really trying hard.

"It's ok, Emmett," I assured him, "He deserves to be call a few more names than that today."

Emmett grinned. "Alright!"

Gym ended with a bang as usual. This time, I tripped during badminton and brought six people down with me. Including Mike, although he didn't seem the least bit upset. After lunch, everyone was back to normal. Edward and I had talked all through Biology. And when I walked out of the gym, Edward was waiting for me.

"Hello," He said politely.

I smiled widely. "Hey," I greeted. We walked to his Volvo, and like this morning he held the door open for me. As soon as we were both settled in, he backed up and tore out of the parking lot.

"So how was the rest of your day?" He asked, his eyes concentrating on the road.

"It was pretty good. When I fell in gym I took six other people down with me," I told him, my face starting to color again, only slightly.

He chuckled lightly. "Was Mike one of them?"

"Yeah. He was the only one who didn't seem upset about it." My face was getting a little bit hotter.

He laughed harder at this. Then he stopped and looked at me with soft eyes. "I forgot to say this earlier, but I'm sorry for the way Emmett acted today at lunch." His eyes were repentant.

I tilted my head. "Why are you sorry. You had nothing to do with it?"

He sighed. "But he's my brother and I'll take responsibility for him."

"But you told him to calm down and his did. It's fine, Edward, really. Jake started it, and I will get on him when he comes over today," I promised.

Edward smiled. "Well, thanks. I'll make sure to get on Emmett's back too. And since the do-"He stopped for a second, than continued, "Quileutes will be over today, it's probably best that I don't come inside today."

I looked out the window and through the light rain. We were parked right in front of the house. I didn't want him to leave yet.

"You were here first," I protested.

Edward laughed long and hard at my words. When he stopped, he looked at me with a wry smile. "Bella, I really don't think it would be good to have me and the whole Quileute pack in the same room. It's hard enough at school."

I sighed in disappointment. He put a finger under my chin and lifted my face to look at him. His crooked smile was plastered on his face. "I'll be back here tomorrow in the morning. I promise."

"Ok. Bye, Edward." It hurt to say the words.

He smiled. "See you tomorrow, Bella."

I got out of the car and carefully jogged to the porch. I opened the door and stepped inside. I turned back to look at him. He was already driving away.

I turned around and closed the door. I shook off my jacket, and took off my shoes. I walked into the kitchen and set my book bag down by the table. I pulled out my Calculus book, the only homework I had, and started to work on it. It was easy, but only because I had learned it previously. I finished in a matter of fifteen minutes. Now I had nothing to do.

Luckily, the phone rang, and I jumped up to get it. It would most likely be Alice or maybe Jessica. She and I had briefly talked during Trig and Spanish. Expecting one of these two girls, it took me by surprise when a husky voice answered my hello.

"Bella? It's Jake,"

"Oh! Jake. Hi. What's up?" I asked. Why was he calling?

"Well... is it ok if we all come over. That way you can meet the rest of us?" He asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry, Jake, no one's here with me," I assured him.

I heard him sigh. "Oh, that's good. So, it's ok?" He asked.

"Yeah it's no problem, but I wanna talk to you first." Now was the best time to scold him.

"Yeah, sure. What about?" He asked innocently.

"What was with you at lunch?"

I heard him let out a low growl. "You heard what the blonde said to me."

"Her name is Rosalie." I corrected.

"Whatever. But I had every right to react like that."

"No, not like that you didn't."

I could practically hear him roll his eyes. "Sure, sure."

"I mean it, Jake."

"Alright, I'm sorry, Bells." He apologized.

I grinned. "It's ok. Now, it's all clear for you to come over for a bit. How many are coming?"

"Well, we have to drag Leah, but all of us are coming. So that's...ten of us. Is that ok?" He asked.

I looked around. Neither the kitchen or the living room could fit that many people. "Um.. If we stay outside it'll work out. Charlie's house isn't that big," I told him.

"That's alright. The rain cleared up anyways. We'll be over in about twenty minutes or so."

I smiled. "Ok. Bye, Jake."

"Bye, Bella." He hung up.

I smiled. Today was getting better by the minute. I couldn't wait to me his friends, and I was curious of who this Leah girl was. What was she doing in a gang with a bunch of oversized boys?

To pass the time, I took out the book we was currently reading, _Macbeth_. It was one of my favorites, but not the best.

I was well into the second act when someone rang the doorbell twice impatiently. The impatience screamed Jacob. I walked briskly to the door. When I opened it, I was shocked at who was behind it.

It was Jacob, but behind him, out by a black van and a beat up red Buick. They were all giants!

"Hey, Bella!" Jake greeted.

I looked back at him, and couldn't help but smile. "Hey, Jake! How was your day?"

"Good, your's?"

"Great."

He smiled. "Good! Come on," He took my hand, "you gotta meet the others."

He dragged me out of the house to stand in front of the others.

"Guys this is Bella," He introduced. "Bella, this is Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry, Quil, Leah, Seth, Brady, and Collin." He pointed them out in the order of which the stood. They all had the same skin tone, the same color of hair and eyes as Jake did.

Sam was the biggest of them all, and most obviously the leader. He stood calm and serene above the others. His hair was short, his bangs barely reaching his eyebrows. His eyes were calm. His jacket was pitch black, the sleeves torn off. His shirt was different from the others. His was red. It had the same design. The wolf and the lettering was black.

Jared stood next to him. His eyes were on my face, not accusing, just staring. His hair flopped into his eyes. His jacket was a dark brown, the sleeves still attached. His shirt was black, the designs were the color of his jacket.

Paul stared at me with an untrusting gaze. I guessed that he was the brawn of their group. He was by far the heavy set of them, but he wasn't any where near Emmett. His hair, like Jared's, fell in front of his eyes. His silver jacket had no sleeves, showing off his biceps. His broad chest attracted the eye to the silver wolf on his shirt.

Embry was smiling at me. His hair reached his chin, it was parted down the middle. He was slender and as tall as Jared. His jacket's sleeves reached his wrists. The jacket and the design on his shirt was a dull gray.

Quil was staring at me eagerly. He was bouncing in place, and he reminded me of Alice when she was excited. He was shorter than the Embry was, but he was brawnier. His chocolate brown jacket's sleeves reached his elbows.

Leah, the only girl, was beautiful. Her hair went a little past her chin. Her eyes glared at me. It was a very intimidating glare, I had to look away. Her jacket was a light gray, with sleeves the was barely passed her shoulders. Her shirt was shorter, showing off her midriff. The wolf on her shirt was drawn as a female.

Seth was the smallest of the group. He was barely at Leah's shoulder. He was gangly and bright with excitement. He couldn't be in high school. I didn't see him at school. I would have noticed him among the giants at their table. His smile was bright and welcoming. His sandy brown jacket's sleeves went to his elbows.

I could tell right off the bat that Brady and Collin were twins. There were few differences between them. There hair was the first difference I noticed. Brady's spiked straight up in a messy fashion. Collin's was straight and flat. Collin's short sleeve jacket was the perfect mixture of brick red and brown. Brady's jacket was the same style, only it was maroon. They were smaller then the others, but I had seen them at school. They couldn't be older then fifteen.

"Hi," I greeted them nervously.

They all greeted me back. All excluding Leah.

"Hi, Bella!" Quil held out his hand. I shook his hand and he smiled widely.

Seth came to stand in front of me.

"You know, you do look a little bit like Charlie." He told me as he looked me over with a smile. "Oh! By the way, your dad and my dad are really good friends. My dad's name is Harry Clearwater. Know him?"

I thought for a moment, but I quickly remembered him as Charlie's fishing buddy.

"Yeah, I remember him. You're his son?" I asked.

He grinned. "Yeah, both me and Leah. Leah's sixteen, I'm fourteen. I'll be in high school next year." He explained it with happiness radiating from him words.

Seth stepped back as soon as Sam came to stand right in front of me

Sam held his hand out. I took it hesitantly and shook it. His grip was tight and firm, but not unfriendly. His smile was small.

"Hello, Bella. It's nice to finally meet you. Charlie talks about you a lot, and ever since yesterday, Jake's been anxious for us to meet you." Sam's tone was polite and kind.

Paul scoffed. "Anxious? The kid never shut up!" He complained.

"Shut up, Paul!" Jake blushed and looked away.

Sam chuckled at them. "Well, you'll have to meet the girls sometime," He told me with a smiled.

"What girls?" I asked.

"Emily, Kim, and Claire. They're my, Jared, and Quil's girlfriends. They'll probably love you," Sam explained.

I smiled. "They sound very nice," I told him.

My thoughts of the Cullens disappeared for the first time.

**Done! Well, this the longest on yet. Ten pages! A record for me I think. Well, the Denali's will come in the next chapter. Also, I will be including the Volturi. I'm not exactly sure when, but they will be in here.**


	8. Meeting the Cousins

**Authors Note- I noticed that I didn't mention that the Quileute gang all have two wristbands. They're black. One has a Q and the other has a W. The letters are the same color of their jackets.**

**Disclaimer- Twilight is not mine.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 7: Meeting the Cousins

Bella's POV

The week had passed without any fights. At school, I hung out with Edward and the others. I only saw the Quileutes around. Paul and Jared were even in a few of my classes. But when I got home, Jacob and at least one of his gang members came to my house and we hung out until eleven o'clock. Usually he brought either Quil, Embry, or Seth over. Sometimes Sam came with him, but not often. I had yet to meet the girls they had spoken of. Like Clair who Quil was always talking about. But I knew that eventually I would meet them.

It was Friday now. I was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for Edward to pull up in the driveway. It was routine now for him to pick me up. Alice had ridden with us once, but only that one time. Otherwise, it was pretty much just Edward and I. And I loved it that way. Talking with Edward was sometimes easier than talking with Alice or Emmett. He never tricked me into shopping trips or brought up the topic of sex like his siblings. But the best thing, was that he never once brought up the subject of Jacob, and for that I was grateful. Jacob had become like family to me, I loved hanging out with him and his buddies, and Edward respected that.

Thinking of Edward made a small wave of nervousness crash into me. Today was Friday. Edward's cousins were coming to visit for the weekend. And he wanted me to meet them. He had said the one of them had been a member of their gang while he was still in school. He had a sense of pride in his voice every time he said his name, Eleazar. He also mentioned that Carmen's father was different from the other three's. Her dad had apparently walked out on their mother. But that was all he had said about them.

The familiar honk of Edward's Volvo shook away the nervousness and replaced it with eagerness as I left the house as quickly as I could without falling flat on my face. When I came out to greet him, he was already waiting by the passenger's door, holding it open for me, his crooked smile taking my breath away. My responding smile was bright.

"Good morning, Bella. Have a nice night?" He asked as I sat in the seat. He quickly shut the door and swiftly walked around and got in on his side. He started the engine and blasted the heater. I was glad. It was cold outside for being in the fall.

"It was fun. Yours?" I asked.

He pulled out of the drive way and started toward the school.

"It was really cool. Jasper came over and me, him, and Emmett all played the PS3. Alice bugged us a little, but then she called Rose, and ended up talking with her until she finally fell asleep. So it was pretty normal," He explained.

"Sounds like it. When are your cousins going to be here?" I asked, the uneasy feeling creeping up on me again.

"They'll be here at about five o'clock. You'd better tell Jacob that you won't be home today." He pulled into the parking lot and cut the engine.

I nodded. "I'll have Jared give him the message," I replied.

Edward nodded and got out of the car. In the blink of an eye, he was on my side and opening my door. I stepped out into the cold morning. The rain was a light drizzle. We both hurried to the gang's before-school hangout as Emmett called it. When we got there, I was shocked by who was also there with the others.

It was Jasper. He was sitting on the cement next to Alice, who seemed perfectly content to have him there. And by the look on his face, he wasn't moving from her side until he had to.

Edward seemed shocked too. So he didn't know about this either.

"Hey, Edward. Bella," Jasper greeted, laughing at our faces.

Edward was the first to regain his control. "Hey, man. What are you doing here? I thought you were on lock down until Monday. It took you an hour and a half just to get out of your place yesterday," Edward asked. He pulled me to sit by him on the dry area of cement.

"I snuck out. My old man left for work earlier. I thought I'd come and see what's up, so I snuck over here. I'm gonna sneak back as soon as the bell rings though," Jasper explained, taking a swig of a soda he was holding.

Edward nodded in understanding. "You gonna be at our place today, see Eleazar and the others?" He asked.

Jasper scoffed. "Hell yeah I'm gonna be there! I'm not gonna miss this!"

"Yeah, Edward!" Emmett exclaimed. "That was a stupid question! No one in this gang misses the day Eleazar comes back!"

I couldn't help but to ask the question I had been wonder about for so long. "What makes this Eleazar so special?" I asked.

Edward sighed. "Well, Eleazar isn't just special to us. He's a legacy in this whole school," Edward told me patiently.

"Why?"

It was Emmett who spoke this time. "Eleazar was the only guy to ever walk out on the Volturi. They're like the biggest gangs in school. All the other kids fear them. You've probably seen them around without knowing it. But anyway, Eleazar used to be part of their gang. A really smooth guy.

"Than he met Carmen. But he didn't know that she was our cousin. He still did all the stupid things that the Volturi did. But we had decided to throw a party since Carmen and the other girls were here, but we didn't invite the Volturi.

"But Carmen asked Eleazar if he would go with her. When he asked her why she was going to our party, she told him it was because her cousins were throwing it for her and her sisters. That immediately clicked things in his brain. He quickly figured out that we were all related, and that set him straight. He quickly quit his gang and told them he was going to join us. He even beat the hell out of one of its toughest members when they tried to knock his head, hoping that he just wasn't thinking straight.

"At the party he told me, Edward, and Jasper that he had quit the Volturi and that he wanted to join our gang. Now him being who he was and since he had quit the most intimidating gang in school, we couldn't refuse. It wasn't until a month afterwards that we found out he was dating Carmen," Emmett concluded.

As Emmett had told the story, I could see it. It was sort of romantic and thrilling. It was something that was saved for movies and books, not real life.

"So that's what makes him so important?" I asked.

"Well, wait till you meet him," Jasper told me. "You'll like him. And if you ever see the stuff the Volturi does, you'll see what makes them so intimidating." Jasper paused. "Actually, you don't want to see the things they do. Just ask Eleazar. He has no problem talking about it. Also ask him to show you his old gang tattoo," He told me.

I tilted my head. "Gang tattoo?" I asked.

Jasper nodded. "Every member of the Volturi has the same tattoo somewhere on their body. Whether it be their arm or their chest, they all have it."

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask the question. The idea of all the members having the same tattoo just sounded weird. But then I thought of the Quileutes. They all had the same style shirt, wristbands, and jackets. I could understand that, but tattoos?

"Well," Benjamin paused for a brief moment. "Their leaders all had the tattoo before their gang had ever been started. So Aro thought it would be good idea if they had the tattoo."

"Aro?" I asked. I was asking a lot of questions today.

"Aro is one of the leaders," Emmett said through his teeth. I didn't surprise me that Emmett would hate saying the name of the leader of a rival gang, so I didn't hang on it.

I was about to ask how many leaders there were, but the bell cut me off, and we all stood and got ready to go to class.

"Hey, I'll see you guys later," Jasper called. He walked back a bit, and for the first time, I noticed the shiny silver motorcycle parked in the grass. Jasper hopped on the bike and quickly started it. He tore off the grass onto the road, speeding swiftly out of sight.

"That's a nice bike," I commented quietly to Edward.

Edward smirked. "Yeah. He loves that thing. He's never hurt it. Takes good care of," He paused, hesitating, before his smirk broadened and continued, "Alice almost hates it."

I couldn't help but be confused. Alice the speed demon hating a motorcycle? And a nice and fast one at that?

"Why does she hate it?" I asked.

Edward chuckled. "I said _almost_. But it's because he never wears a helmet. She worries about him on that bike," He answered softly.

I smiled. It sounded sweet. The existing relationship between Alice and Jasper was completely obvious to everyone but themselves. It was easy to see. When one moved the tiniest bit, the other complemented the move with their own. Like a small and delicate dance. It was unlike the flamboyant relationship of Emmett and Rosalie. It was subtler, gentler.

Edward must have known what I was thinking, because he smiled and said, "I think they'll see it soon enough."

The day passed swiftly and silently. I had been panicking most of the day about meeting Edward's cousins. It made gym even worse. Me being distracted and trying to play sports wasn't a good combination. But my panic faded when I saw Edward waiting for me outside of the gym doors.

He smiled his crooked smile. "Hey, are you ready?" He asked.

"Yeah,"

"Do you need to stop by your house or anything?"

"Um, yeah. I have to pick up my stuff, since I'm sleeping over." Alice had arranged it, and Charlie didn't protest. He could never say no to Alice.

Edward grinned. "Ok, then. Let's go."

We walked through the parking lot and got in the Volvo. Once he pulled out of the parking lot, he blasted the heater.

"By the way, I told the others that we'd pick Jasper up. He can't get out of his place without help," Edward told me, a grin beaming on his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, Jasper's dad is very strict. He and Jasper get into a lot of arguments. Since he got suspended, his dad's had him on complete lock-down," He explained.

"Oh."

He pulled to a stop outside of Charlie's house.

"Go on in. I'll wait here," He said with a grin. His words oddly made my heart swell.

I quickly ran through the rain and into the house. I went upstairs and grabbed my bag that I had prepared the night before. I walked down into the kitchen and wrote Charlie a note about the dinner I had left in the fridge for him. I didn't want him to have to cook for himself again. It was horrible to think about. Then once I was finished, I went outside, locked the door, and quickly reentered the car.

Edward laughed quietly. "That was quick," he muttered, amused.

I smiled. On the way to Jasper's we talked endlessly about almost everything. He finally pulled up to a muddy brown two-story house. Jasper's motorcycle sat in the driveway. And surprisingly, Jasper was sitting on the porch, dry under the roof over him. He grinned and ran to the car. He quickly opened the door and threw a bag in and hopped in himself.

Edward didn't start driving yet. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked, bewildered.

"My mom said I was off the hook, but I could only go if I stayed the night. So I called your mom, and she said it was all right. And, here we are," He explained.

"Your dad?" Edward asked.

A dark look crossed Jasper's face, but it passed as fast as it had come. "It's all taken care of."

I didn't know all of Jasper's problems, but I instantly knew what he had meant. He had won the argument between them.

Edward dropped the subject of his dad, and started to drive. The boys started to talk about bikes and cars, and I quickly lost interest. I was quickly lost in thought. This would be the first time since two summers ago that I would be at the Cullen's house. The first time in two years that I would see Esme and Carlisle. And I was ecstatic at the idea. And I instantly remembered the house when Edward turned into their oversized garage. Inside along with the Volvo, were a Porsche, a gigantic Jeep, and a Mercedes. We left the garage and went into the house. It was just as I had remembered it.

"Bella, Jasper!" Alice called from the top of the stairs. She slid down the banister and gracefully landed on her feet. "What's with the bag, Jasper?" She asked.

"I'm staying over too." He told her, grinning happily.

Alice smiled.

"It's about time you guys got here." Emmett and Rosalie were descending down the stairs.

"Bella?" A bell-like voice called. Esme rounded the corner. She was just as I had remembered, and hadn't aged a bit. Just as beautiful.

"Hello, Esme," I greeted.

She smiled gently and pulled me into a soft embrace, and kissed my forehead. "It's so great to see you again, sweetheart! How's Renee? The kids told me you said that she remarried," She asked.

"She's just fine. Phil is a great guy. And it's great to see you too," I told her.

"Hey, mom, where's dad?" Edward asked.

She pulled back from our embrace, but her arms were still on my arms. "He's up in his office. He'll be down soon," Esme answered.

"When's Aunt Sasha and the others coming?" Emmett asked.

"Soon." Esme left us to return to the kitchen. A wonderful smell coming from the kitchen.

"I thought I heard Bella's name," Carlisle said coming down the stairs. Carlisle looked the same also. His blonde hair smoothed back, making his blue eyes shine in the light. He wore a white jacket over a red button-up shirt with tan pants. He was stunning, and it was easy to see where the kids had gotten their good looks from.

I smiled. "Hello, Carlisle," I greeted.

He put his arm around my shoulder. "It's great to see you, Bella. How have you been?" He asked.

"Just fine," I replied.

"That's great! How's Charlie been?" He asked.

"Good. Well, really good now that I'm cooking," I replied.

Carlisle laughed. "You've got a point. We used to have the kids take something over to him, until he started claiming that he could cook for himself."

I giggled. Charlie cooking? That's a laugh! Before I anyone could say anything else, the doorbell rang loudly.

"Ah!" Emmett shot out of his seat on the couch. "That's probably the guys along with Tia and Angela. They said they'd be here before Aunt Sasha and the others." Emmett left the room to get the door.

"Oh, I forgot the others were coming," Carlisle mused. "Are they all staying too?"

"No, they'll be out of here by midnight," Edward assured him.

Carlisle smiled. "Well, their welcome to stay."

Jasper laughed. "I wouldn't tell them that. With Esme's cooking you might never get rid of them!"

"You know, Jasper," Carlisle said just as the others came in with Emmett, "I was told that the reason you were suspended was because you got into a fight. What was this fight about?" Carlisle asked. He looked serious but you could hear the teasing tone under it.

Nevertheless, Jasper blushed. "Oh, it was nothing. James was just annoying me?" He stuttered.

Carlisle looked at him curiously. "Is that so? That's what the whole fight was about?" He teased again.

Emmett laughed loudly. "No! The fight was all about Alice!"

The other guys, including Carlisle, laughed at Emmett's claim, while Jasper and Alice blushed. The other girls just rolled their eyes.

"Now, Emmett," Esme chided, "you should be happy that Jasper defended your sister. At least someone did. Why didn't you?" And with that one question, Esme had turned the tables on him.

Emmett pouted. "Well I would have, but Jasper beat me to it. And I wouldn't have stopped hitting him, unlike someone!" Emmett directed his statement at Jasper.

Jasper shrugged. "Alice didn't want me to fight, so I was going to hit him as little as I could," He said nonchalantly.

All of the girls, including me, swooned at his statement, while Alice just smiled sweetly at him.

Rosalie smacked Emmett's shoulder. "Why can you be like that?" She asked angrily.

"I am . . . I just . . . I," Emmett spluttered, afraid to say anything. Then he glared at Jasper. "You know, its guys like you that make all the rest of us boyfriends look bad. And you two aren't even dating!" Emmett complained.

Edward chuckled beside me. "Oh, let it go, Emmett. That's just Jasper's personality. He's naturally romantic, while you're naturally an ass," Edward teased.

The others laughed as Emmett pouted. Then his eyes lit up.

"Well I may be an ass, but at least I'm not a virgin! Hah!" Emmett exclaimed.

Edward glared. "There is nothing wrong with being a virgin. I'd rather wait until marriage," Edward said through his teeth.

Emmett chortled. "Oh, come on! Be a man, Eddie!"

"Don't call me that!" Edward seethed. The rest of the guys laughed.

"Emmett, leave your brother alone," Esme said as both her and Carlisle left to the kitchen.

Emmett rolled his eyes and mouthed "Momma's boy" to Edward.

"You know, Emmett," Alice looked over toward me and Edward, a sly grin on her face. "I agree. There is nothing wrong with being a virgin. I mean, do want him to go and have sex with Lauren or something?" Alice asked.

"Well, no. But what about Bella?" Emmett asked, clearly disregarding the fact that I was right here. My face grew hot and I thought my face must look fire truck red.

The others disregarded me and Edward too.

"He has a point, Alice," Garret agreed.

"Yeah, I mean, look at all the time they spend together," Benjamin replied.

Edward finally spoke up. His cheek tinted pink. "Shut up! We hang out so much because we're good friends. And it's also easier to talk with her than you assholes!" Edward told them, his glare fierce. He turned back to me, his glare gone. "Sorry about them," He muttered quietly.

"It's ok," I mumbled, my face still a little hot.

Then there was a loud knock on the front door.

"Who the hell is that?" Emmett asked himself out loud.

"Maybe its aunt Sasha," Alice suggested.

"Nah., they can't be here yet. Can they?" Emmett wondered.

We all heard Esme and Carlisle answer the door. We could hear them greet the people at the door and we could hear people greet them. Mostly girls and a guy from what it sounded like.

They were here.

The first to walk in was a guy. He looked to be maybe twenty or so. His skin was tan, not like Jacob's tone, but not as pale as Edward's. It was kind of in the middle. His eyes were the color of melted chocolate. His hair was black and nicely brushed over his eyes. He wore a blue shirt over a red long-sleeved shirt. His jeans were a dull gray. His face held a big and goofy grin.

"Eleazar!" They all greeted at around the same time.

"What's up?" He greeted back.

Alice stood up and jumped at him. He caught her with ease. "And how's my favorite cousin?" He asked.

She grinned with him. "Great." She let go of him.

"Good," He looked toward Emmett, "She and Jasper together yet?" He asked.

Emmett laughed. "No, not yet!"

Eleazar shrugged. "They'll get there," He looked at Edward. "No hug?" He asked teasingly.

Edward rolled his eyes. "No. By the way, Eleazar, this is Bella," Edward introduced.

Eleazar looked me over once and then grinned. He held out his hand. "Hello, Bella. It's nice to finally meet you."

I shook his hand, my face a little warm. "It's nice to meet you too. The boys talk about you a lot," I told him.

Eleazar laughed and sat down next to me. "Really? Still? What did they tell you?" He asked.

I shrugged. "About you and Carmen, the Volturi, and I was supposed to ask you about some tattoo?" I told him.

Eleazar nodded and he pulled the collar of his shirt down a bit. There, tattooed on his collarbone in a bold black and elegant script, were a capital V and a capital I connected together. It was beautiful and yet it looked intimidating.

When I looked back up to his face, he put his collar back into place. "That's my old gang tattoo. It's pretty cool. The V stands for the Volturi of course, and the I stands for Italy," He explained casually, as if we were discussing the weather.

"Why Italy?" I asked.

"Well, the leaders are all brothers. And when they were young, they moved here from Italy. Once they graduate, they plan to go to college there. As do the rest of the members," he told me.

"Oh." I still didn't quite get it, but I didn't know too much about gangs.

"Where are the girls at?" Garret asked.

"Talking with Esme and Carlisle. Don't worry, Kate will be in here in a minute. She's been excited to see you," Eleazar told him. All of the others grinned.

Edward turned to me, knowing I would need it explained to me. "Garret's got a crush on our cousin Kate," He told me.

"I do not!" Garret exclaimed.

"Doesn't what?" I bell-like voice asked. Standing at the entryway stood a girl about my age or possibly a year older. Her hair was corn-silk blonde, and it flowed gracefully down passed her shoulders. Her eyes were a cold and piercing blue. She was tall and almost as statuesque as Rosalie. She wore a faded orange shirt with dark blue jeans.

"Nothing," Garret quickly replied, slightly flushed.

"Hiya, Kate!" Emmett greeted.

Kate smiled. "Hello, Emmett."

Emmett stood up and came over to me. "Kate, this is Bella Swan," He introduced.

Kate, like Eleazar, looked me once over, and then smiled. "Hello," She greeted.

"So this is the famous Bella?" a girl said as she stood next to Kate. I could already tell that the girls were twins. She had the same blonde hair and blue eyes, only her hair wasn't as long. She was wearing a light blue jacket over a white tank-top and light green jeans.

Edward smiled. "Yes, Irina, this is Bella."

Unlike her twin, Irina came over to me and shook my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella. Edward talks about you a lot."

I felt my face grow warmer. "It's nice to meet you too, Irina."

Irina smiled.

"Edward! How's the greatest cousin in the world?" I looked back to where Kate was still standing. A girl most likely my age stood next to her, her eyes locked on Edward. Her hair was the same color, only with a strawberry tint. Her eyes were a dark green. She was a little shorter then Kate. She wore a pale pink shirt and white jeans.

I looked at Edward. He was grinning. "Hello, Tanya. I'm fine. You?" He asked.

Tanya came to stand behind were he sat. "I'm great!" Than she caught sight of me. "Oh! Who's this?" She asked.

"This is Bella," Eleazar told her.

Her eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh! Hello, Bella. It's great to be able to meet you!" She greeted politely.

I couldn't help but smile. "It's nice to meet you too." I was saying that a lot today.

"Oh, so this is Bella?" Came a soft voice. I saw Eleazar's eyes light up with love. Walking into the room was a girl that was surely older than I am, but not by much. Her skin was the same tone as Eleazar's. Her eyes were a soft brown and her hair fell to her shoulders in cascades of raven black. Her shirt was a nice shade of red. Her jeans were a normal blue. I already knew that this was Carmen. The one who had changed Eleazar.

"Yes, and you must be Carmen. It's nice to be able to meet you," I greeted with a burst of confidence. I don't know where it came from, but I was going to take advantage of it.

Carmen smiled. "Yeah, that's me. And I'm very happy about being able to meet you. Edward talks fondly of you."

Edward's cheeks tinted pink again. "So I hear," I teased. Edward grinned sheepishly at me.

"Where's aunt Sasha?" Alice asked.

"She went into the kitchen with aunt Esme and uncle Carlisle," Carmen explained.

"Oh, so she doesn't have the time to come and say hello to us!" Emmett exaggerated his pout to where no one was not laughing.

Later on in the Evening

The night was going great. Their aunt Sasha was very nice and sweet. I could see how her and Carlisle were related. Her hair was the same shade of blonde, her eyes the same blue. She was just as polite and kind. And thankfully, she took to me well. I really liked her too. As I like all of them. Eleazar was really funny. And when Emmett brought up the subject about what the Volturi did Eleazar explained it to me nicely, even though no of it was good. Tanya was mostly talking with Edward or Alice and Rosalie, but when she talked to me she was nice and as energetic as Alice could be. Irina was almost the same only the energy level wasn't as high. I really liked Kate. She too hated shopping with Alice. She claimed that there was not point in wasting money on something that she'd only wear once in her life. And I like Carmen just as much. She was really soft-spoken and polite. It was easy to talk to her. And I noticed that whenever she was talking, Eleazar was listening with sincere interest and love.

Now we were all in the Cullen's warm and nicely furnished basement, which was also know as the kid's game room. Some of the other's had left. Benjamin, Garret, Ben, Angela, and Tia were still here. They claimed that they wouldn't be staying, but they didn't want to go home just yet.

"So, Bella, are you gonna be at the party?" Kate asked. Us girls were sitting in a bunch of beanbag chairs while the guys were playing a bunch of video games.

"Yeah, I figured I might as well because if I'd said no Alice and Emmett would have dragged me there anyway." I grinned.

Kate laughed. "You have a point. Has she took you shopping yet?" Kate asked.

"Not since last time I was here when I was only visiting," I replied.

"Oh don't worry," Alice said, "Tanya, Irina, Rose, and I will be dragging you two shopping before the party." I swore that her grin was evil.

Kate and I groaned at the idea. I'd rather shoot myself in the foot then go shopping with Alice sometimes.

Rosalie laughed. "Don't worry. Jasper's going with us too. He's gonna hold the bags," She told us, grinning just as Alice had.

"Jasper?" Kate asked, "Why is he going?"

Rosalie shrugged. "Because Alice asked him to come."

"And we all know that Alice has that boy wrapped around her little finger," Tanya taunted.

Alice blushed lightly. "Shut up," She mumbled.

Irina continued the taunting, "If Alice says sit, Jasper sits. If she says speak, Jasper barks."

"Shut up!" Alice yelled.

The boys turned to look at us. "What the hell are you girls talking about?" Emmett asked.

"Nothing!" Alice exclaimed.

"Ok," Jasper shrugged and turned around.

All of us girls laughed while Alice only blushed harder.

**Wow, nine pages this time! I can't believe it's that long. Then again I can't believe it took that long to type out. Anyway, the next chapter will include the girls shopping, the party, Alice and Jasper possibly getting together, and defiantly more trouble from the Quileutes**.

**Hopefully it won't take as long to write this time.**


	9. House Party

**Author's Note - Well, I'm finally at the party. This is where a lot of the fights start happening. Also, finally, we have Edward's POV in this chapter. Also, some Alice and Jasper in here too. And of course, more of our favorite werewolves. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 8: House Party

Bella's POV

I woke up in a familiar room that I remembered as Alice's. Strange. I don't remember coming up here last night. I thought all of us had fallen asleep downstairs after Tia and Angela left. I sat up to look around. All of the girls were sleeping around me. All except Alice. Where was she? I looked at her digital alarm. It was ten in the morning, and I could smell a mouth-watering smell wafting from downstairs. I stood up and grabbed my bag. I entered Alice's bathroom and got dressed and brushed my teeth. I tiptoed out of the room, not wanting to wake the others up, and went downstairs. As I got closer to the kitchen, I could hear some boys arguing, along with three silver bell voices laughing. I walked in with a smile.

Emmett and Jasper were fighting with each other, over what I think was a piece of bacon. Edward and Eleazar were smacking each other over their heads. Carlisle, Esme, Sasha, and Alice were watching with laughter.

Esme noticed me by the entrance. "Good morning, Bell. Come and eat something," She told me. Edward stopped trying to hit Eleazar and looked back at me. He grinned my favorite grin and stood up and pulled out the seat next to him for me. I smiled and gladly sat down next to him.

"Morning, Bells! Have something to eat. Mom always makes a ton," Emmett said, handing me a plate.

"Thanks, Emmett," I said. He gave me a big smile and continued to talk with Jasper while eating. Jasper was smirking, holding the piece of bacon they had been previously fighting for.

"Did you sleep well?" Edward asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Hey, how did us girls get upstairs?" I asked.

"Oh, us guys carried you girls upstairs. We didn't want to leave you all down there," He explained. A slight pink tint on his cheeks.

I felt my own face heat up a bit. "Oh, thank you."

"Yeah, Edward was the one that carried you up, Bella. He refused to let any of us others guys do it!" Jasper teased. The other guys laughed with him. My face flared with heat.

Edward glared at Jasper. But his glare quickly disappeared, and a taunting smile took its place. "Well, Jasper, if I remember right, you insisted on being the one to bringing Alice upstairs," Edward retorted.

"Well, no one else offered!" Jasper defended, his cheeks turning red.

"Actually, I offered to take her upstairs," Emmett contributed, grinning at the blushes on both Jasper's and Alice's cheeks.

"Now boys," Esme chided, "leave them alone." Emmett gave a pout while Edward kept his grin.

"Morning," said a groggy voice. A disheveled Rosalie came in. Her hair wasn't totally wild, but it wasn't exactly tame. Her blue eyes were half lidded and her loose shirt fell off of her shoulder and slightly covered her boy shorts. Even after just waking up she was beautiful.

Emmett grinned. "There's my ball of sunshine," He teased.

Rosalie shot him a baleful glare. "Shut up," She mumbled, sitting in the seat he had pulled out for her.

"Love you too," He said teasingly. He put his arm around the back of her chair, and handed her, her own plate. They looked so casual, so at peace. It made you smile when you saw them.

"Where are the other girls at?" Eleazar asked.

"Still sleeping," Rosalie said, leaning her head on Emmett's arm.

"Actually, I'm up now," Kate said coming in to sit down with us. Unlike Rosalie, her hair was smoothed, her eyes awake, her clothes looking like she had been up for hours. "You aren't the quietest person when you wake up," Kate commented.

Rosalie shot her a look, while Emmett laughed.

"Don't I know it?!" He laughed. Rosalie shot her elbow into his side, making him cough as he kept laughing.

"Are the others up too?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah, I think Tanya's changing, and Irina and Carmen were starting to get up. Why?" She asked.

Carlisle smiled. "Well, if I'm correct, I believe that you girls have a shopping trip scheduled for this morning though the afternoon," He replied. Alice and Rosalie grinned in victory while me and Kate grimaced. Jasper was indifferent.

"You are correct, Uncle Carlisle! It'll be great!" Tanya exclaimed as she skipped to a chair next to Kate. Irina and Carmen followed her in at a much calmer pace and manner.

"How are you and Alice so cheerful this early?" Rosalie asked Tanya.

"It's a gift," They both answered with laughter.

Later at the Mall

After breakfast, Alice, Rosalie, Tanya, and Irina dragged me, Kate, and Jasper to the mall, although, Jasper didn't seem to mind when he got to sit by Alice in the van as Irina drove. Now, we were at the front entrance to the mall in Seattle.

"Remind me again why we're shopping," Kate asked as we walked into one of the many clothing stores.

"Because we have to buy something for the party tonight. Especially Bella. Her closets probably a disaster," Alice claimed.

"Thanks," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Ok, but why are we buying clothes for one night?" Kate asked skeptically.

"Because," Rosalie answered this time, "It's a very important night! You guys are here, and Bella's moved here."

Kate rolled her eyes at the explanation. "That's just dumb."

Now all the other girls rolled their eyes.

As we had talked, the girls were already grabbing different things to try. Alice had Jasper holding hers and he gladly held them. They forced me and Kate into hundreds of different outfits. They commented and had Jasper give an opinion or two. They even made Jasper try on a few shirts. We had gone from clothes to shoes to jewelry to hats. Then we stopped to eat, and went in a full circle. It was all painfully slow and boring to me. Until we started walking to the mall after leaving to the car to put some of the bags away, so we could have Jasper's arms free to carry more.

Once we came through the door, I immediately noticed him. You'd had to have been blind not to. He was coming toward us, walking with casualness, calm and cool. His hair was bright blond and it was spiked back, sticking straight out and up. He was wearing blue jeans and a black shirt with a white skull with red eyes on it. He had black wristbands, multiple piercings, and a black cross around his neck. On one arm was a tattoo with a black serpent, also with red eyes. And what was on the other arm put a small shock through my entire body. In elegant and intimidating scripts, were a connected V and I. And when I looked at his face, hie eyes betrayed his casual posture. His cold black eyes were glaring hatefully at our group. Not really our group, but mainly at Jasper. The girls were tense, and Jasper was rigid, glaring just as hard as the boy in front of us, but we didn't stop walking, and neither did he.

When we finally passed each other and the boy walk out of the mall, they all relaxed. They continued talking about what they had been. It was like we'd never even seen him. And I had a feeling that I shouldn't bring it up.

"So, Bella," Alice turned to me, as did all the others. We were in a new store, searching the racks for unneeded clothing.

"Yeah?" I asked warily. The staring eyes were making me blush and fidget in discomfort.

"We were just wondering . . . do you like Edward?" She asked abruptly.

I froze in shock, a question I had never expected. "What?" I sputtered. My face was flaring with heat.

"Do you like Edward?" She asked again, slowly saying each ward distinctly.

"Because you two are always together. And you talk about everything," Rosalie contributed.

"Also, he is always talking about you," Tanya supplied.

"And he's told us guys that he likes you, but we don't have to be told to know that," Jasper said.

I turned to him. "What do you mean you guys don't have to be told?" I demanded.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Bella, look at the signs. He's always talking about you, talking to you about everything, pulling out your chair, opening doors, giving you rides. He is completely in love with you," Jasper explained.

I didn't say a thing. I was too stunned, way too bewildered. I refused to believe it. I couldn't. How could Edward, Greek God Adonis Edward, like me like that? But the thought of him thinking like that made my heart soar and flutter. My face was still hot and I felt it grow slightly hotter. I gulped, my throat dry.

Alice instantly noticed, and like she read my mind, knew my answer to her question.

"Well since the party is tonight, you can make your move. All you need is a little touch that us girls can give you." I could clearly see the gears in her head turning, imagining what she would try to dress me in. I physically and internally cringed.

And immediately after her words, the girls, excluding Kate, started talking quickly and pulling things off the rack.

"She'll look very good with blue," I heard Rosalie said.

"Maybe this," I heard Irina suggest.

"That would look great!" Tanya approved.

"Or this," Carmen said.

I was lost in the jumble. They pulled me into the dressing rooms and had me try on various outfits. To me some were ok, and some I blushed just looking at them. They were outfits that Charlie would have a heart attack if he were to see me in them. But the girls love most of them and had me retrying them on, trying to decide which I would wear tonight. Kate and Jasper threw me sympathetic looks through the whole thing, but I could easily see the relief in their eyes, elated that they weren't the ones enduring this torture. They had decided on a tight fitting button up blue blouse. I had heard either Rosalie or Tanya comment that it'd be easy to take off. I tried hard to repress that thought. The skirt they picked was a bright white that reached only a few inches above my knee. I found it fairly acceptably. They decided wisely against heels, and had chosen a pair of black shoes.

"We'll do your hair and makeup when we get back to your house," Alice had promised, but to me it sounded like a threat.

They had decided to drop me off first. Jasper was going back with them to Alice's. Alice and Rosalie would be coming over in an hour to an hour-an-half.

I walked into the house exhausted. My feet were starting to hurt from walking. It was almost four-thirty. We had been shopping for a little past six hours.

"Bella?" Charlie called from the living room. I could faintly hear the voices of sports broadcasters on the tv.

I trudged into the living room, dropping my bags and sitting on the couch.

Charlie laughed. "Wore out? Carlisle called and told me about your girls shopping trip," He teased.

"Ha, ha," I laughed dryly. "Alice and Rosalie will be over in an hour or so."

Charlie's eyes lit up. "Alice is coming? That's great! It's been too long," He exclaimed. I couldn't help but notice that he didn't mention Rosalie.

"Dad she was here last Thursday," I reminded him.

He scoffed. "Only for a half-hour."

I rolled my eyes. There was no arguing with Charlie about Alice. She would always be his favorite Cullen.

"Whatever, Dad," I muttered.

It was silent then, I was relaxing while he continued to watch the game. But the silence only lasted for fifteen to twenty minutes.

"Hay, are you going to their party?" Charlie asked.

"What?" I asked, a little shocked.

"The party the Cullens are throwing at the Hale's?" He asked.

Of course. Only in Forks would a father know about all the teen parties.

"Yeah, I'm going. That's why Alice and Rosalie are coming over. They're going to do my hair and makeup," I said cringing. Charlie cringed too.

"Have fun with that," he mumbled.

"Do you want me to make you something before we leave?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Nah., I'll just heat up yesterday's dinner. You have fun," He assured me.

Then the phone rang, and I stood up and went to answer it. I pulled up a chair, not wanting to stand any longer. I answered it.

"Hello?"

I was surprised by the husky voice that answered. "Bella?"

"Jacob! Hi, how are you?" I asked, eager to talk to him.

He was just as enthusiastic. "Great! You?"

I sighed. "I'm good. A little tired. Did Jared give you my message?"

"Yeah, he did." He paused. "Would it be all right if I came over for a bit?" He asked.

I shrugged even though he couldn't see it. "Sure, I have little over an hour before Alice and Rosalie come back over," I answered.

He sounded sad. "Oh, they're coming back over?"

I sighed and weirdly felt a little sad too. "Yeah, they're gonna do my hair and stuff for the party tonight."

"Party?" He asked puzzled.

I was surprised. Jacob didn't know about a party in Forks? But then again, it associated with the Cullens, so my surprise quickly disappeared. "Yeah, Alice is throwing a party at Rosalie's house tonight."

"Blondie's house? Why not their own?" He asked.

I sighed deeply. "Her name is Rosalie. And her parents will be out tonight. It's the perfect place."

"Oh." He said nothing about my correction on Rosalie's name. "Well, I'll be over in less then fifteen minutes then," He said cheerfully.

"Cool. Bye, Jake."

"Bye, Bella." He hung up. I hung up the phone and put the chair back. I went back into the living room and retrieved my bags. I slowly went up to my room. I decided to put the clothes away, and when I was done, I decided to read.

It wasn't long until I heard a loud knock and Charlie greeting Jacob. I put back my bookmark and quickly went downstairs. Jacob was sitting on the couch, watching some of the game with Charlie. When he saw me, he smiled widely and his black eyes were bright. He was wearing his usual jacket and wristbands.

"Hey, Bells!" He greeted.

I couldn't help but to smile widely too. "Hey, Jake! Just you today?" I asked.

He grinned. "Yea, just me. The others are kinda busy with some stuff," He explained.

"That's fine with me," I told him.

"Me too," He agreed.

We left the room and went into the kitchen, where we usually hung out whenever he came over.

"How was you day yesterday?" I asked as we sat down.

He shrugged. "Nothing really important. Me, Quil, Embry, and Seth went down to First Beach. We hung out there for a while. Nothing really interesting," He told me. "How 'bout you?" He asked.

"Well, I got to meet the Cullen's cousins. That was pretty fun. Nothing really interesting either," I replied.

"Cousins? Like Eleazar?" He asked.

I wasn't surprised that Jacob knew him. Apparently he was famous around here to the teens. "Yeah I met him. He's really nice."

"Yeah, I guess," Jake mumbled. I rolled my eyes at his response.

"He really is nice, Jake," I told him.

"Sure, sure." He stopped for a moment, then continued. "Hey, did you want to come to a bonfire with me next week? The entire gang will be there. And it'll be the perfect chance for you to meet the other girls personally," He asked, looking a little nervous.

I smiled. "I would love to join you guys. But a bonfire in Forks?" I asked skeptically.

He laughed loudly. "It's not supposed to rain that day," He assured me.

I giggled. "Ok, if you say so. But I'm holding you personally responsible if I get wet," I teased. He laughed too.

"So, a party at Blon— I mean Hale's house tonight huh?" He asked.

"Yep. Should be fun." I was a little proud that he corrected himself the best he could.

He grinned a taunting grin. "Am I invited?" He asked.

I laughed. "Would you like to go?" I asked teasingly.

He laughed, "I don't think I would be welcomed. Especially at Hale's," He told me.

I couldn't argue with that. I knew for a fact that Rosalie hated Jacob, probably more than Edward did.

"So," He changed the subject slightly, "Charlie told me about your trip this afternoon. How was it?" He asked.

I groaned. "Torture."

"And they're coming back later to make you all pretty and girlie," He joked I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed harder.

A light knock came form the door and we both turned to the sound, even though we couldn't see the door.

"I'll get it," Charlie called to us.

"It's probably my dad or Sam. I didn't tell anyone that I was coming here," Jake mumbled quietly to me. But we both stopped and froze at the sound of the voice greeting Charlie.

"Hi, Charlie, is Bella ready?" A silver voice asked at the door.

Alice and Rosalie were here early.

Charlie sounded hesitant. "Um . . . yeah, she's in the kitchen I guess," He told them.

"Thanks," I heard Rosalie's gold chime voice clearly.

Next we heard the approaching footsteps and Jake tensed even more.

"Hey, Bell— what the hell?" Alice said in the door way. She was absolutely beautiful. Her normal spiky hair was in light curls at the bottom. Her unneeded makeup was light. She was wearing very tight fitting light pink shirt. It shifted up a millimeter every time she moved her shoulders. Her skirt was shorter on her than mine had been on me. It was black, as dark as her hair. In her hand was a baby blue bag, most likely full of makeup products and other torture items.

Rosalie stood right behind her. Her eyes wide and a little aggravated. Her hair was up into a ponytail, which I was told she only did on occasion. Her deep red tank top was under an open white jacket that only went to her midriff. Her pants were stylishly faded into a very light blue. She looked so stunning that I almost felt like crying.

"What the hell is a dog doing in here?" Rosalie demanded. I had gotten Jake to lighten up on the names, but there was no stopping Rosalie.

Alice stopped her. "Sorry to interrupt, but we thought it'd be easier to start early." She sounded calm, but her eyes were sharp and her shoulders were tense.

"Ok," I sighed. I turned to look at Jacob. "I guess I'll see you later."

He looked puzzled. "What do you mean?" He asked. Now I looked puzzled. I would have spoke but Rosalie beat me to it.

"That means, beat it, mutt!" Rosalie hissed.

Jacob snapped his head in her direction, his glare dark. "Shut it, Blondie, this isn't your house. If I have to leave Bella will tell me. Right, Bells?" He asked with a grin. I could see in his eyes that he was joking. He didn't want to be around them just as much as they didn't want to be around him. But he wanted to aggravate Rosalie. I could see it.

So I played along. "That is right," I told him. Rosalie obviously knew what I was doing and shot me an exasperated look.

Jake chuckled quietly, but he stood. "Well, I guess I will take my leave. Can feel Blon— I mean Hale's lust for my blood to be poured, so I'll head home. Have fun tonight, Bella." Jacob strolled out of the kitchen at a leisurely pace, grinning at Rosalie as he passed. Then soon I heard the front door shut. I looked at the girls. Alice looked at complete ease now, but Rosalie looked as if she wanted to say something. But she didn't.

"Well, let's head upstairs and get you ready!" Alice enthused.

They pulled me upstairs and set my room up to look like a beauty parlor. It truly frightened me. They continuously tried different things with my hair, but decided on slightly curling it like Alice had done to hers. Thankfully, my makeup was light, they claimed that I was beautiful without, which my cheeks flare with heat. They had me get dressed, put on my shoes, and were ready. It took them an hour and a half to do. It too was exhausting.

We walked downstairs and went into the kitchen where we heard Charlie heating up his dinner. They wanted an opinion and they thought that Charlie's would be the one to get for now.

"Hey, Charlie, what do ya think?" Rosalie asked, keeping me in front of them like a display.

Charlie let out a low whistle. "Wow, you look beautiful, Bells," He complimented.

I blushed. "Thanks," I mumbled.

"Well, we'd better go. The party starts in a half-hour," Alice declared.

I turned to her. "What? A half hour? Is that why you came earlier than you said?" I asked.

Alice shook her head. "No. We thought it might have taken longer. And Rosalie loves to make and entrance, but since it's at her house, we remembered that she can't," Alice explained.

I rolled my eyes. Of course Rosalie would want an extravagant entrance.

"When you bringing her home?" Charlie asked.

"Well, I was wondering if she could stay over with at Rose's house. Please?" Alice pleaded, her lower lip jutting out in an irresistible plea. Charlie had no hope.

And of course he smiled widely. "Of course she can! You girls have fun." It was clearly a dismissal and Alice and Rosalie took it and towed me outside. Parked by the curb was Alice's yellow Porsche.

"Hop in," Rosalie said. "The others are waiting for us at my place."

I internally sighed. This felt like it would be a long night.

An Hour Or So Later

The room had filled with people. Which really meant something because Rosalie's house was huge! Music was blaring from the speakers and people were dancing and talking loudly. Now I was sitting with Angela, Tia, Emmett, Kate, Edward, Rosalie, Benjamin, Ben, and Mike. Alice and Jasper had been with us, but Alice had asked Jasper to dance with her, and of course he didn't say no. Now I couldn't see them with the other dancing teens. Eleazar was with Carmen in the middle of a circle of people. He really was famous around here.

Now, me and Edward were talking to only each other, disregarding the others.

"So, Bella, are you liking it here at Forks?" Edward asked.

I smiled. "Well, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. It's actually kind of fun," I answered.

He grinned. "That's good to hear. And the party?" He asked.

"It's ok. To me anyway. But I can't help but wonder where Jasper and Alice went," I admitted.

He looked around. "Yeah, me too. But they're probably in the kitchen or something," He said in an offhand tone.

Jasper's POV

After dancing to more than five songs me and Alice sat on the stairs taking a breather. We were quiet, the music was blaring from one of the speakers next to us, teens were talking and laughing loudly. We only stared at each other, at complete ease. She was beautiful. Her hair in soft curls, her outfit complimenting every curve in her body. Her green eyes sparkled with boundless energy. She took my breath away.

I finally had to break away from her gaze. I quickly took a look around. There was no Edward or Emmett in sight. Now was my only chance.

"Alice," I started nervously, "would you like to go outside with me?" I asked.

Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. "Sure," She cheerfully replied. My heart leaped at her answer. My blood pulsing.

But I only smiled. "Great, let's go."

I gently took her hand and guided her out the door. The contact of our skin made my heart pound. Her pale hand was soft and dainty. We walked across the vast lawn and walked into the Hale's garage. I flicked on the lights and closed the door behind us. Alice bounded to her car and hopped onto the hood. She waved me forward and I eagerly joined her.

We just sat there for what felt like hours rather than minutes. I was in total bliss. I was alone with Alice, and I never want to leave. I decided to push my limits a bit, and slowly and gently, I put my hand on hers. She looked up at me shocked. I pulled my hand back, thinking I'd went too far, but she smiled and pulled my hand into hers. She shifted her position so that she was on her knees, still only reaching my chin. She locked eyes with me. They gleamed with determination and confidence.

Not a word had been spoken between us, but I knew what she wanted. I felt it.

Hesitant, I leaned down slowly toward her, not wanting to rush. But she reached up and touched her lips to mine in a soft but forceful kiss.

I was euphoric. Her lips were soft and warm. The kiss was searing, making my whole body shiver, yet grow hotter by the second.

I didn't want it to end, but sadly I pulled away slightly, breaking our affectionate kiss. We stared at each other for a few more seconds before we kissed again. This kiss was not as soft as the first. It was rushed and forceful. I felt her hands on my shoulders, and I put mine on her petite waist. One of her hands moved to my hair and tangled itself in my golden locks.

As much as I wanted to continue this, I had to pull away. Alice gave me a disgruntled look, but her lips trailed across my jaw to my ear.

"What's wrong?" She whispered softly. Trailing her lips too behind my ear.

I bit back a groan. "Nothing's wrong. I just think we shouldn't do this here." It was a sorry excuse for my cowardice, but I couldn't continue this. Emmett would murder me if he saw and/or knew about it.

She pulled back and looked around us. "Hmm . . . you are right," But she grinned wickedly. "But I've got an idea." She pulled me off the hood, and pulled me to the back door to the car. Her grin grew wild and so did mine. Forget Emmett. He wouldn't find out. I had nothing to worry about, now that I'd thought about it.

I opened the door and let her get in and I soon joined her. As soon as the door was closed, her lips were on mine again in another deep, passionate kiss.

Edward's POV

I was content. I was lucky enough to be sitting here talking to Bella. Beautiful Bella. She was gorgeous. I couldn't look away from her. She was so fascinating, so wonderful.

"So, Eddie," Emmett interrupting my reverie, "you gotta tell me, are you gonna make a move on Bella tonight?" He asked.

"I'm not gonna make a move, and don't call me that," I told him.

He only rolled his eyes. "Well, don't you like her?"

I gave Emmett an "are you stupid?" look and said, "Of course I like her. But I' can't just ask her out. I don't want to seem to forward," I explained. And it was true. I was raised to be a gentleman. I didn't want it be awkward or make her feel pressured.

"But she likes you too, so it won't seem too forward."

My head shot up. "She likes me?" I asked in shock.

Now Emmett gave me the look. "You didn't know that? Geez, for being the top in your class you sure do miss the obvious," Emmett teased. I didn't pay attention to that. Bella likes me? Like, wants to date like? Since when? Now I was even more nervous than I had been.

"So, what do I do?" I asked.

Emmett sighed heavily. "Now you go over there and ask her on a date," He explained. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. He dragged me to the others, and my heart started pounding erratically.

I thought about turning around, but Emmett spoke, "Hey, Bells, Edward wants to ask you something!"

I internally groaned.

She turned to look at me with beautiful and innocent brown eyes. "What is it?" She asked.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well . . . I was . . . um, wondering —

"What the hell!" Garret exclaimed. We all turned to look at what he was looking at.

We all tensed.

Standing in the doorway, was trouble. The Quileute Werewolves. They were striding over to us. I almost growled when I noticed Jacob Black's eyes on Bella.

I turned my head slightly toward Eleazar. "Go find Jasper and Alice. We might need him."

"Where are they?" He asked, just as tense.

"I saw them head toward the garage, but I never saw one of their cars leave," Eric told him, his posture stiff.

Eleazar head quickly passed them and out the door. They didn't even look at him as he passed.

Eleazar's POV

I ran outside, going to the garage as Eric had seen them go. Hopefully they didn't leave. But the lights were on and both their vehicles still here. But Alice's Porsche rocked a bit every ten seconds or so.

I froze. They wouldn't! Would they? Slowly I walked over to her car and looked through the back window. Thankfully they were still fully dressed, though the top few buttons on Jasper's shirt were undone. Jasper was sitting up, and Alice was straddling him. Their lips were locked in a kiss, their hands decently roaming the other.

I felt bad for having to stop them since it took so long for them to finally give in. I knocked on the window.

They jumped and quickly broke their kiss. I could see the relief in their eyes as they noticed it was just me.

Jasper opened the door. "What?" He asked, and his frustration clear on his face and in his tone.

I rolled my eyes. "I hate to ruin your little party, but the dogs came, and a fight might break out, so get your ass in the house," I explained.

They were out of the car in a matter of seconds. We quickly started toward the house.

"What are they doing here?" Alice seethed.

"Not exactly sure. Edward sent to get you before anything happened," I told her.

"How many of them?" Jasper asked.

"Sam, Paul, Jacob, Embry, Leah, and Collin." I listed.

"So, six," Alice counted.

"Yep," I agreed.

We entered the house then. Everyone and everything was silent. Everyone watched the two gangs in the middle of the room. We quickly joined the others.

Emmett took in Alice's even messier hair and ruffled clothes, and Jasper's tangled hair and partially unbuttoned shirt. "What the hell were you two doing?" He asked, a hint of outrage in his voice.

"Not now," Edward voiced.

Emmett reluctantly nodded, and we all turned to face the intruders.

Bella's POV

"Now that we're all here, I'm going to tell you once more. Get. Out. Now." Edward's voice was firm and ice cold.

There was no fear in Paul's eyes. "Make me," He taunted.

It was then that Emmett's fist swung, and knocked Paul several feet back.

"Say it again," Emmett provoked.

"Knock it off, Emmett!" commanded.

Emmett shot Edward a glare, but he still backed off slightly.

Paul laughed. "You are just like Blondie over there! A bitch!"

Emmett lost it.

He tackled Paul over one of the couches, flipping it over and smashing the table they landed on. They got tangled in punches and kicks, and neither Edward nor Sam stopped them.

"Emmett, quit!" Alice commanded, and Emmett almost did stop.

"Stay out of this, tiny!" Jacob remarked, and now Jasper's fist smashed into Jacob's shoulder, knocking him to his ass three feet back. Jacob swiftly jumped back up and Embry took to his side, both advancing on Jasper. But when they got too close, Garret stepped into the fight, standing next to Jasper.

Jacob threw a punch at Jasper, which he expertly caught, but distracted Garret, who Embry hit on the forehead, splitting the skin. As Garret stumbled back, Benjamin lunged at him. Embry quickly threw him off, and he landed on Collin, quickly starting a quarrel between them. Kate had started to jump in to help Garret, but Leah intercepted her, and they glared each other down, waiting for the other one to swing first.

It was chaos all around the house, and no one said a thing. The onlookers just watched, eager and excited. The others in the gang just watched, waiting to jump in if needed. Tia and Alice were watching with worried faces. Rosalie watched with a smug face as Emmett was winning his fight. Edward and Sam were just staring at each other, not stopping the others and not speaking.

I couldn't watch anymore. I turned and buried my face into Edward's shoulder. I felt Edward's shoulder tense and I quickly looked up, embarrassed that I had done that. But he didn't look disgusted as I thought he would've. He looked ashamed. He put his arm around me in a soft hug.

"Sorry," He mumbled in my ear. I blushed heavily. He kept me at his side when he finally spoke to Sam. "If you call off yours, I'll call off mine."

Sam took a look at me. He nodded. "Ok." He turned back toward the others. "Knock it off! All of you!" He called. And surprisingly they all stopped without a word. The guys from Twilight all stopped to stare at Edward.

"Let's call it quits for a minute, and discuss this calmly for a moment," Edward explained.

Everyone went back to their respective "sides" I'd call it. They were all bruised and a little bloody.

"It seems we have only one choice," Sam remarked.

Edward was tense. "It seems so. When and where should the fight be?" He asked.

I froze. Fight?

"Tomorrow at seven-thirty pm. The clearing in the forest. Sound good?" Sam asked.

"Perfect. Until then," Edward dismissed.

The Quileutes all turned to leave. Jacob was the last one out the door, and on his way out he shot me an apologetic smile.

No one relaxed.

"Party's over," Edward spoke now to the crowd. "Please leave."

All the teens started leaving the house. None of us moved. When it was finally empty except for us, Edward turned us to face the others.

"You heard. We fight them tomorrow. Kate," He turned to look at her. "I want you to come along. I think you'd be perfect to take Leah."

Kate grinned in excitement and triumph.

"Ben, how should we do this?" Edward pulled us down to one of the sofas, and the others all sat down too.

Ben thought for a moment until he finally spoke. "Well, I think all of us guys, and Kate should go. Emmett should fight Paul, he deserves that. Jasper, you take Sam, he's a little bigger, but you have more experience. Garret, you take Jared. Benjamin, you take Brady. Eric, you take Seth. Tyler, I want you to take Quil. He's strong, but I think you could take care of yourself. Me, I'll take Collin. He's their tactician, so it'd be best if I took him on. So, Edward, that leaves Jacob to you," Ben planned.

Edward nodded, solemn, but I could see the eagerness in his eyes. I turned cold. It was my worst fear. Edward and Jacob fighting a fist fight. I looked around. Some of the other girls didn't look happy about the fight either.

Especially Alice. She ran her fingers across the new bruise on his forearm. The one on his cheek was darker than before, signaling that Jacob had gotten him in the cheek. Jasper held her to him, his other arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Rosalie sat on Emmett's lap, wiping small amounts of blood off of his cut cheek. His face was pulled into a large grin. At the attention he was getting or at the thought of a fight I didn't know. Rosalie's own face was smug.

I looked up at Edward. His arm was still holding on to me. He looked down at me. His smiled, like Jacob's had been, was apologetic. His eyes pleading forgiveness.

I didn't say anything. I only hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go.

**Done. All right. Didn't take as long as I'd expected it to. But I finally got some things done. Bella realizing that Edward might like her, Alice and Jasper are now officially together,** **the prelude to the fight between the Quileutes and the Twilights, and Edward finally deciding to ask out Bella.** **Very productive all in all. The next chapter will be the fight between the gangs, mostly in Edward's point of view. And I had said the Volturi would be coming in soon, and I'm getting closer to that moment. Bear with me. R&R.**

**Animeaddict**


	10. The Fight Begins

**Author's note - I know that the fight is going to seem kind of short. That's because this fight isn't supposed to be really long. It's meant to be short and painful. Sorry if that disappoints you, but there will be bigger, longer, and more painful fights to come. Let's not forget the Volturi.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Twilight.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 9: The Fight Begins

Bella's POV

Today was the day. We were all at Rosalie's house still of course. Rosalie's family wouldn't be home until late in the morning. Everyone had told their parents they'd be home late. It was a quarter to seven. They would be leaving at seven. I was not thrilled. The boys were all fidgeting with eager faces. Emmett seemed way too excited. Eleazar was a little upset about not going, but he suppressed his disappointment. Everyone was split up around the room, either with their respective other or talking with one of the others. Edward and I were sitting on a couch, watching the others pace and talk nervously. Even Edward was fidgety. He kept shifting in his seat. I couldn't help but notice how his eyes would flash to mine every few seconds.

"Bella," Edward's voice rang around the two of us, breaking our silence. "I'm very sorry about all of this. I wouldn't have agreed to this, but it was the only option. I apologize." It had been the hundredth time he'd said that.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. They shouldn't have come here yesterday," I defended.

"Nevertheless, I'm sorry. We all are." Edward gave me a nervous glance, like he wanted to say something else. Suddenly, I remembered something. It was little, a small detail I had forgotten to ask about.

"Edward, before the Quileutes came, you were going to ask me something. What was it?" I asked.

Edward visibly tensed and his face flushed a light red. "Oh . . . um, it was nothing."

I grinned. "C'mon, you can tell me. You should know that by now," I teased.

Edward gulped loudly. "Ok, well . . . I had been wondering . . . if . . . you . . . would go on a date with me?" He stuttered through his sentence clumsily.

I was shocked. A date? With me? No way! And he had seemed nervous about asking, almost afraid.

I answered before I had even thought about it. "Yes."

Edward's eyes widened. "Really? You really want to?" He asked incredulously, a smile on the edges of his lips.

I smiled. "Of course I do! I would love to," I told him. Honesty was written in my expression and it stained my words.

"Great! When?" Edward asked excitedly.

I shrugged happily. "It doesn't matter to me."

Edward shifted closer. "How about Thursday? We can go to a movie in Port Angeles," He asked.

My smile widened. "That sounds perfect."

Then a loud alarm went off from Ben watch. Everyone looked toward him, than at Edward.

Edward's face was smooth but tense. "It's time," He stated.

All the boys stood up. Mike ran outside to start up his van. Eric and Tyler ran after him, wanting to get front. Garret and Kate their quick goodbyes and left out the door. Ben gave Angela a quick hug, and Benjamin gave Tia an innocent kiss on her forehead before they both left the house. Emmett and Rosalie were locked in a passionate kiss before Emmett went to the door and stopped. Waiting. Alice and Jasper had locked eyes with each other, Alice's small hands covered by Jasper's bigger ones. Alice stretched up and Jasper leaned down slightly to help her. She whispered something into his ear and then kissed him on his good cheek. Jasper gave a heavy sigh before he let her go.

I turned to Edward. He stared at me, his emerald eyes smoldering. He took my hand and softly kissed my palm. He murmured sorry once more, before he turned to Jasper and Emmett, who were waiting for him by the door.

"Let's go," Edward told them. And then they were gone.

Edward's POV

Emmett, Jasper, and I were in the jeep, Emmett driving. The rest were piled in Mike's van. We were more than half way to the field, and I was eager to get it over with, wanting to get back to Bella. I hated those stupid mutts for ruining my moment. It would have been asked better, had I not been getting ready to leave her to go to a fight.

It was quiet between us. Had circumstances been different, both me and Emmett would be questioning Jasper on what him and Alice had been doing last night, although Eleazar claims they were only making out. But now was not the time. Emmett stared out the windshield and me and Jasper glared out the windows. Mike was right behind us, his headlights brightly shining.

Finally the path was familiar. I realized that we were growing closer to our destination. My heart was pounding in anticipation. I felt the need to fight, to let out the frustration I'd kept in last night. I had wanted so badly to jump into the fight. To give that mutt Jacob what he deserves. But Bella wouldn't have approved of me fighting with one of her best friends. So I clenched my fists and stayed rooted to the floor. I didn't even watch the fights. It would have tempted me way too much.

When Emmett pulled to a stop, I looked out the window. There in the middle of the field, the Quileutes stood tall in a formal line. They were all wearing their shirts and jackets. All of us got out of the cars and walked up to the Quileutes in a line of our own. Everyone had who they were to go after memorized. We stopped right in front of them. No one talked.

Finally, Sam spoke. "The fight continues until all members of a gang give up or are unable to fight. Sound good?" He asked formally.

I nodded.

Then Emmett threw the first punch at Paul.

"That's for calling my girlfriend a bitch, asshole!" Emmett taunted.

And the chaos began.

I wasn't ready for the punch Jacob had sent at me, and it blew me back a few feet, knocking the air out of my lungs, all of it coming out in a quick _whoosh._ I took a deep breath and swiftly tackled him to the hard ground, sending my first punch straight into his chest. His rough cough was quick and loud. He quickly kicked me off, shooting pain all the way down my back. I could already feel the painful bruise forming. Then before I could attack again, he rammed into me, spearing me into the ground. I heard the agonizing crunch and felt the excruciating pain in my hand, mainly my left thumb. No doubt he had broken it.

I held back a groan of pain as I sent a quick kick to his stomach, quickly slamming my right hand into his collarbone once he fell. Then it was so quick that I didn't see it, but I could definitely feel his fist connecting sharply with my cheek. I fell, almost somersaulting backwards. My cheek stung harshly. I hurriedly stood up and connected my fist to his gut, while his connected with my shoulder bone. This time I couldn't hold back a groan, but neither could he. While he was gasping for breath, I ran to him, sending my foot to his face. I heard his sharp intake of air. When he sat up, I could see his face. Blood gushed from his nose in a perfect stream. I couldn't suppress my grin of satisfaction.

Letting his nose continue to bleed, he stood back up. He ran toward me, his speed never faltering. There was no way that I could dodge him. So as he tackled me, his hand smashing into my jaw in a hard punch, I rammed my knee into his ribs. When we landed on the ground, I rolled him off of me. I got onto my hands and knees and spit out blood, not enjoying the metallic taste in my mouth at the moment. I looked over at him the same time he looked over at me. We locked eyes, and grinned.

Emmett's POV

As I stood in front of Paul, I couldn't help but glare. The memory of what he had called Rose last night flowed into my head. And it pissed me off. Finally when Edward and Sam quit talking, I couldn't hold it back. I swung back and slammed my fist into his jaw.

"That's for calling my girlfriend a bitch, asshole!" I taunted.

The other fights broke out, but I didn't look away from Paul. Before he could get up, I speared him, repeatedly smashing my fists into him. It took him a minute to recover and push me off. Once he did, I felt his foot slam onto my stomach, making air shoot out of me. I rolled over and got back up, sending a right hook into his jaw, and sending my foot into the side of his head. When he tried to stand again, I slammed my foot up into his stomach, knocking him down again.

The words of last night were on an instant replay. Rosalie wasn't a bitch! Those thoughts kept flowing into my mind. It fueled my anger, and pushed me harder, making me keep him on the grass, not letting him get up. After my tenth kick, he finally caught my foot, and pulled it out from under me. I collapsed onto my back. Something scratched up my back through my shirt. A stick most likely. I could feel it break some of the skin of my back, but I ignored it. It probably wasn't all that serious, and if it was, oh well.

He sent his fist fly into my chin, breaking some of the skin. I hissed and sent my foot into his knee, making it buckle before giving out from under him. I grabbed his foot and pulled him toward me, sending my fist into his stomach, my glare and anger rising with menace.

Jasper's POV

At first, I wasn't sure I could fight Sam. He was bigger than me. A lot bigger! But once Emmett hit Paul, I sent a quick kick to his side, knocking him down, but he pulled me down with him. After my back hit the ground, Sam smashed his elbow into my stomach, pain spreading quickly throughout my body.

I sent my foot up, and it forcefully connected with the back of his head. He tumbled off of me, preparing to swing at me, when I sent a quick punch at his face. He then angrily slammed me into the nearest tree, and repeatedly bashed my head against the painfully, rough bark. I quickly ducked under his hand and smashed my forehead into his chin, giving my head a minor ache.

When I lifted my head back up, he slammed his fist into my already bruised cheek. It stung worse than before. It was starting to piss me off. I'm tired of getting hit in the same spot over and over again. I swept my foot into his legs, knocking him over. I grabbed one of his arms and stepped on the other. Then I jabbed my knee into his back, tugging on his arm with every jab. I heard a small growl before I felt his foot ram into my shoulder, flipping me over him.

We were both on the ground, panting. I looked at him as we both stood up. Then we charged at each other again.

Edward's POV

I don't know how long it had been since the fight had started, but it felt like hours. I was tired, sore, out of breath, bruised, and my thumb was still throbbing painfully. It was starting to get aggravating.

Jacob was in the same condition, except his nose was still slightly bleeding, and his thumb wasn't broken.

But as I was anticipating Jacob's next swing, we all heard it.

There was a loud, sickening crunch that sent chills up my spine and froze my feet to the ground. Then came the scream.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Paul yelled, and continued to scream out profanities in English and Quileute.

We all rushed over to him and Emmett. The Quileutes were all asking if Paul was ok, and what was hurt.

We turned to Emmett. "What happened?" I asked.

Emmett shrugged, his eyes innocently wide. "I don't know! We were fighting, and when I knocked him on his ass, he grabbed my foot and I landed on him. By the sound of it, I guess I broke his arm," Emmett explained.

"Right now that doesn't matter," Sam replied, "we have to get Paul to the hospital, now!"

Sam, Jared, and Jacob all picked up Paul, and we went as fast as we could to the cars. They loaded Paul into their van.

Sam looked back at us. "I hate to ask you for a favor, but can Seth ride with you? With Paul being dramatic and spreading himself across the backseat, we can't fit everyone in." Sam's face was hard, but his eyes were pleading.

I nodded. "That's fine. Emmett, can you drive?" I asked. I looked him over. He had a few bruises and a cut on his cheek. None of it looked horrible.

Emmett nodded. "Yeah, no prob."

Everyone got into their cars and we quickly went down the path.

I looked at Jasper from the backseat. "Jazz, are you ok?"

He nodded. "Nothing serious. A few bruises."

I looked over at Seth. "Are you ok?" I asked. I had no problem with Seth.

"No, I'm fine. Are you?" He asked, his face sincere. I couldn't help but notice that a big bruise had already formed above his right eye. Seems like Eric actually got a good hit in.

I sighed. "Nothing really, but my left thumb's probably broken," I replied casually.

"Does it hurt?" Emmett asked.

I kicked his seat. "Of course it hurts, moron!" I replied, my sarcasm dripping in my tone.

Then it was silent. We all stared at the window. I watched the other cars go by along with the surrounding forest. Then the car jerked to a sudden stop, and I almost flew into Emmett's seat.

"What's wrong?" Seth asked hurriedly. Jasper and I looked at Emmett with worry too.

Emmett turned sharply to Jasper, his stare accusing. "I just remember what I was wanting to talk to you about! What the hell were you and Alice doing last night?" He demanded.

We all groaned.

"Just drive, Emmett," I grumbled, even though I too was curious.

Emmett did start driving, but he repeated his question.

Jasper sighed. "Nothing. We made out in her car. That's it. I wasn't going to let it go any further than that," He answered.

"Really? Then why was the top few buttons of your shirt undone?" Emmett accused.

"Look, Emmett," Jasper paused, choosing his words carefully, "if Alice and I ever get to that point, I don't want it to be in the backseat of her car. I want it to be special for her."

I could understand that. It was why I chose to wait until marriage.

But Emmett still eyed him suspiciously. "All right. I'll buy that," He said, caving in.

At The Hospital

When we reached the hospital, not only was Paul checked out, but all of us were. There only a few serious injuries besides Paul.

My thumb was indeed broken. Jacob's nose wasn't broken, and they had stopped the bleeding. Eric had a sprained wrist, most likely got it from when he punched Seth. And then Emmett had a large cut on his back. His whole upper torso was wrapped in bandages.

The rest just had gruesome looking bruises. Jasper's cheek was worse than before, and Sam was sporting a black eye. Kate had three bright red scratches trailing down her arm. And Mike had a bandage on his forehead.

Now we were all waiting for Paul to be brought out. The girls had gotten here earlier, along with our parents, except Rosalie's and the Quileutes'. They chewed us out, and so did the girls. Bella was sitting next to me, holding my right hand, leaning her head on my shoulder. I pulled my hand away and put it around her shoulder. She sighed in contentment, and it put a smile on my face to hear it.

I looked at the others. Alice was sitting next to Jasper, carefully brushing his bruised cheek with her finger tips. Her brow ceased with worry, her lips holding a pout as they talked quietly to each other. Jasper was looking at her face, watching her with love clear on his face. He took her hand, and kissed each of her fingertips. Alice smiled and kissed his non bruised cheek. Jasper whispered something, and when Alice lifted her head to kiss his cheek again, he turned his head so that her lips joined with his. I looked away, not sure if I'd be able to stomach my baby sister having an intimate moment with my best friend.

I had turned to Emmett and Rosalie. Rosalie was sitting on Emmett's lap, twirling his dark hair between her fingers. Emmett had place his head on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck ever so slightly. He must have said something because Rosalie started to laugh lightly, and lifted his head to look at her. He had his normal goofy grin plastered on his face. She kissed his forehead, then kissed the cut on his cheek. I almost laughed. I never thought I'd see Rosalie and Emmett sharing a tender moment. If those two are near each other, it's never tender. It's usually heated and rough. I had to admit, I was shocked that Emmett wasn't sending glares in Jasper's direction, but I could tell that all of his attention was on Rosalie.

"Edward?" I turned my head to see Sam standing in front of me, his face smooth and his posture formal.

"Yeah?" I asked.

He cleared his throat. "I guess that this fight turned out for the worse. I'm not exactly sure who won," He stated.

I grinned. "Neither do I."

"Well, I wanted to make an . . . agreement," He told me.

I cocked my head in confusion. "An agreement?" I asked.

He nodded hi head once. "Yes. An agreement that says that as long as our members are healing, we will stay clear of each other, and stay away from fighting with each other."

"Only until we're all healed?" I inquired.

"Only until we're all healed," He clarified.

I sighed and looked at Bella. Her face was hopeful, her eyes on me, pleading.

I looked back at Sam. "Ok, you've got a deal," I told him.

Sam grinned. "That's good."

Then Paul walked out, his arm wrapped up and in a sling. His face was angry as he walked over to Sam.

"Can we leave now?" He asked, not even looking toward me.

Sam nodded. "Yes," Then he called out to all of his gang. "Let's go guys."

They all got up to leave, and before he went out the door, Seth grinned and waved at me. As Jacob passed, he smiled at Bella and she smiled back.

Sam was right at the door when he spoke again. "Edward, tell your dad we said thanks." Then he walked out the door before I could say anything.

Then Emmett spoke up. "So, what do we do now, Eddie?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't call me that. And for now, nothing. We stay clear of them, and they are going to stay clear of us, up until we all heal," I told them.

Bella squeezed my hand, and when I looked at her, her smile was elated.

I grinned at her.

"Well, let's get out of here then!" Emmett declared.

Then mom spoke up. "Emmett, you and you brother and sister are staying here until your father's done," She replied sternly.

Emmett sighed.

I looked toward Bella. "Well, then you and your dad should go on home then," I told her.

Her face fell slightly. "Are you sure?" She asked.

I smiled. "Don't worry. I'll take you to school tomorrow," I replied.

She smiled.

Then Charlie stood up and stretched. "He's right, Bells, we should head on home. And Edward," He face was stern. "I don't want any more of this," He told me.

I nodded. "You won't." I told him.

He nodded. "All right then. Come on, Bella."

I gave Bella a quick hug, before I let her and Charlie go. I missed her as soon as she was out the door.

The others followed their example and left, and now it was only me, Mom, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper. Emmett obviously didn't like that.

"Hey, Jasper, why don't you head out too. You don't want your family to get worried," He said, his tone hard.

Jasper didn't say anything, he only shook his head.

Emmett shifted and muttered something unintelligible.

Then our dad walked into the waiting room. "Are you all ready?" He asked.

"Yes, they are," Mom answered. We all stood up and stretched lightly.

"Well, come on. Rosalie, Jasper, we'll drive you two home," He told them, a smile on his face.

"Thanks," They both replied.

At The Cullens' House At 10:30 P.M.

Alice's POV

I was in my bedroom, in my pj's, consisting of a loose shirt and a pair of boy shorts, getting ready to go to bed, when I heard a light tap on my window. I waited for a second, and I heard it again. I walked over to my balcony window, thinking it was only the tree. But when I opened my curtains, the wind was silent and still. It was dark outside and I could barely see anything. Then a rock flew up and lightly hit my window. I opened the window and stepped out.

I looked over the railing, and standing next to his motorcycle, was Jasper.

My smile was big. "Jasper, what are you doing?" I asked.

"I came to see you," He stated simply.

"This late?" I asked skeptically.

He nodded. "Can I come up?" He asked.

I smiled. "Yeah, I'll just sneak downstairs and let you in," I told him.

"Wait!" He called out quietly. "I've got a better idea." Then he walked swiftly to the tree next to the balcony and started to climb.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He didn't look at me when he spoke, concentrated on climbing. "I'm climbing up to your room," He replied. Now he was my height, but on what seemed like a thin branch to me.

"Jasper don't you dare!" I warned.

But he didn't listen. He slid over carefully. He was only five or so feet away from the railing.

"Jasper," I warned again, but he jumped and landed on his feet on the balcony floor.

His grin was wild. "Eat your heart Romeo," I heard him mutter.

I ignored him and pulled him into a fierce hug. "I said not to," I said against his chest.

I felt him shrug as his arms went around me. "It would have been easier. And I'm not hurt, so you have no need to worry."

I sighed. "Come on, let's get inside."

We walked into my room, and I closed the doors and curtains. Then I turned back to him.

"So what are you doing here?" I asked.

He shrugged, his face had a pinkish tint to it. "Nothing, I was just thinking that I'd ask you if I could stay here tonight. I'll sneak back out and go home early in the morning so no one knows," He said, having it planned. His face was even pinker and he kept shifting, nervously.

I couldn't help but a little nervous to. But I smiled. "Sure, that's ok," I told him.

His responding grin was brilliant. "Great, thanks. I'll just need a blanket," He said.

I was already confused. "What?" I asked.

"A blanket, so I can sleep on the floor. Well, actually I'll need a pillow too," he said.

I smiled, and let a boost of confidence show, hiding how nervous I was. I grabbed his hand.

"Well, why don't you sleep in my bed with me?" I suggested. Thankfully, I didn't sound nervous at all.

His eyes widened and his breath went slightly ragged. "Oh! Um . . . are you sure?" He asked.

I nodded. "Of course!" I replied.

He relaxed and smiled. "Ok, sounds good to me."

I smiled. "Great." I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward my bed.

"Hold on," he said, and he started to undo the button of his jeans. I turned away blushing.

I heard rustling and then hear his jeans fall to the floor. Then he turned me to look at him. He kissed my forehead softly, before we both got into my bed. He pulled me close to him and I snuggled into his warm skin. He pulled the blanket up around us.

"Night, Jasper," I mumbled into his shirt.

I felt him smile into my hair. "Good night, Alice," He said with a kiss on my hair.

Then I fell asleep to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

**All right, this one was shorter than some of my other ones, and the next chapter might not be as long either. All depends. But, next chapter will involve some talk about the Volturi, and hopefully more Emmett and Rosalie, and more Jacob. Once again, sorry about the fight being short, but the other fights will be longer. Also, Edward and Bella's date will be soon, at about the twelfth chapter.** **If you have a question, feel free to ask. **

**Animeaddict**


	11. Healing

**Author's Note - Ok, so here's the next chapter, as I said a little more Rosalie and Emmett. The Volturi will be properly introduced in the next chapter. Now I know that the Volturi brings justice in the books, but in this story they're kind of the opposite. I'm keeping their personalities the same, but what they do will be slightly different.**

**Disclaimers - I do not own Twilight.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 10: Healing

Bella's POV

The Denali's had gone home, and it has been almost a week since the fight between Edward and Jacob's gangs, and if you looked at how they were toward each other now, you'd have never thought they had fought each other. They were as they had been. They didn't talk, they didn't look at each other, and they didn't even acknowledge each other. If you couldn't see their injuries, no one would be able to know. But Paul and Edward's casts were easy to see, along with the bruises the others got.

I continued to sit with Edward and the others at lunch, and when Edward dropped me off at home, Jacob would call to say that he was on his way over. He and another member (now it was usually Seth) would arrive in a matter of minutes. I hadn't told Jacob about my date with Edward yet, I knew how Jacob felt, and I wasn't sure if I could hurt him.

Now it was Wednesday, and we were all at lunch. Emmett and Garret were still missing, Rosalie and Tyler were arguing about cars, Angela and Tia were talking, Alice and Jasper were talking quietly to each other lovingly, and the rest of the boys were messing with each other.

Edward was sitting beside me, eating with a casual silence around him. It made me smile to know that I somehow had a date with him. But suddenly, his whole posture went rigid.

"Oh, shit!" He exclaimed to our table. Everyone looked toward him. It wasn't like him to use that kind of language. Then we looked where his eyes were directed, and we too all went stiff. Especially Rosalie.

"Emmett!" She called out. Garret was helping Emmett walk to the lunch table, and Emmett was holding on tightly to his side, where his bandages were. Garret sat him next to Rosalie, and she was instantly moving his hand to see.

"Don't worry, Rose, it's fine, just sore. I'll be fine!" He said, but winced harshly when Rosalie tapped him on the side.

"It wasn't sore this morning! What happened?" She asked.

Emmett glowered at the table. "The stupid Volturi," Emmett muttered. Everyone seemed to growl at the name.

"What do you mean?" Edward asked, enraged.

"As me and Garret were walking to lunch we noticed that idiot Felix kept messing with this girl, so I told him to quit. We started arguing and the girl left. So he got all pissy and took a swing, and got me in the side. It being hurt already, made it hurt worse and I dropped to my knees. Then he started acting all high an mighty, and walked off laughing," Emmett explained.

Rosalie looked furious.

"The Volturi has been causing a lot of problems. We've got to do something," Garret remarked.

"What can we do?" Jasper asked. "We're all still recovering from the last fight, which gives us a lot of weak points. And their gang is a lot bigger than ours, they'd still be able to take us, if we confront them all."

"Well we don't have to confront them all," Emmett replied. "I say that we go around, one by one, and kick their asses together!" Emmett concluded.

Edward shook his head. "No, that won't work. They are never alone. One is always with another. It'd be too hard to separate them," He said.

Mike rolled his eyes. "Then what do you suggest we do, Cullen?" He asked sarcastically.

Edward shrugged. "I'm not sure of everything, but first we have to heal. Maybe not completely, but at least give it another week, before we do anything. Ben you start thinking up a few ideas in the mean time," Edward claimed.

Nobody argued, except Emmett.

"That's dumb! Why the hell should we wait?" He complained.

Edward ignored him. "Rosalie, why don't you and Emmett leave. Take him somewhere he can cool off for a bit," Edward suggested.

Rosalie nodded, but as Emmett stood up he started to grumble incoherently about not needing to cool off. Then Rosalie towed him out of the cafeteria.

"Edward," Alice spoke after Emmett and Rosalie left, "are you sure a week is enough?" She asked, her eyes trained on Jasper's cheek.

Edward sighed. "We can't let them keep tormenting people. We can only wait a week, no more," Edward stated in a hard tone.

"He's right," Ben said. "We can't wait more than a week. They'll get cockier by the day, and if we hold it off for more than a week than chances are they'll really push the limits."

No one said anything. I don't know what was going through the other's heads, but my first thought, was my worry for Edward.

Rosalie's POV

I had driven Emmett to the clearing, hoping that be alone would help him calm down. He hadn't said anything the whole way. He just glared out the windshield, his jaw tight and his fists clenched.

When we stopped, I finally looked at him and spoke. "Emmett, are you all right?" I asked.

"All right?" He asked. "Why shouldn't I be? Everything is so great! I got hit in my wounded side today, and I can't beat the hell out of the one who hit me. The enemy gang keeps messing with everyone, and my best friend is sleeping with my little sister! How should I feel?!"He demanded.

I scoffed. "Jasper and Alice are not sleeping together."

"It's a possibility!" He exclaimed.

"Alice would have told me. And she did tell me that Jasper said he wanted to wait. They're only dating, Emmett," I claimed.

Emmett was still steaming. "Ok, fine, but what about the Volturi?" He asked sarcastically.

I sighed. "Emmett, you just have to wait. Edward's right, you are in no condition to fight. Felix alone could break you in half while you're like this," I told him.

Emmett started to grumble and he got out the car and roughly slammed the door shut. I watched him as he stomped around the field, stopping to throw a rock at a tree or break a fallen tree branch in half. I could hear him growl and yell from here. One of the branches caught his shirt as he was breaking it, and it ripped. He tore it off and threw it to the ground and repeatedly stomped on it like a child. Finally after twenty or so minutes, he sat on the grass, his head in his hands, his body dripping with sweat, his hair matted to his forehead, his breathing looking harsh. I stepped out of the car and knelt by his side, putting a hand on his slick shoulder.

"Emmett?" I said softly.

His shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Rosalie. It's just . . . so much has changed in just a few days, and I don't like it," He said, his words slightly muffled by his arms.

I stroked his hair. "It's ok, Emmett. You don't have to apologize," I told him.

He put his head up to look at me. "Yes I do. I'm angry and I've been taking it out on everyone else. And I've been taking it out on you, and that is something I'm truly sorry for, Rose," He amended. He put his arms around me in a tight embrace, and I returned it. He nuzzled my neck once before he kissed me lightly but passionately.

I sighed as he pulled away. "Are you ready to leave?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, let's back to my house. Dad's working, and my mom's in Seattle all day," He said as he pulled me up.

"What's your mom doing in Seattle?" I asked as we walked back to the car.

He shrugged. "She's shopping or something like that," He said as he got in.

I laughed. "You are really descriptive, Emmett. That was a beautiful explanation," I exaggerated.

He laughed freely as we went toward the highway. "You know you love me," He boasted.

I only rolled my eyes and laughed with him.

Bella's POV

Emmett and Rosalie never came back to school. The day ended as usual. After Gym, Edward caught up with me and he took me home. Jacob called a few minutes ago, and he and Seth were on their way here.

As I was waiting for Jacob and Seth, the phone started to ring. I hurried to it.

"Hello?" I asked, expecting to hear Jacob or Charlie.

"Bella?" Edward's smooth voice made me smile widely.

"Hi, Edward. Did you need something?" I asked.

"No. It's just that . . . Emmett and Rosalie are here at home. I guess they've been here since they left school. I figured I'd let you know. You sounded worried about them earlier," Edward explained.

"Oh! Ok, thanks. Is Emmett ok?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's fine. He's agreed to wait a week."

"That's good," I sighed in relief.

It was silent on both of our ends for a moment before I spoke again.

"So . . . is that all you called for?" I asked.

He sighed. "Yeah, I guess. Emmett was wanting to be the one to call, but I really wanted a reason to call you, so I jumped at the opportunity to talk to you." His voice was smooth, and I almost forgot how to breathe.

My heart started to thud. "Well I can't laugh 'cause I'd do the same thing," I told him, and I heard him take a big intake of air.

Then someone came in the house with a loud bang of the door. "Bells, we're here!" Jacob called. He and Seth quickly sauntered into the kitchen.

"Hold on," I said to Edward, then I turned to Jacob and Seth, "Hey, guys. Sit down, I'll be done in a minute," I told them.

Seth's face brightened. "Is that Edward?" He asked with a broad smile.

I nodded.

"Tell him I said hi!" Seth said as he sat down. Jacob gave him a weird look.

I went back to talking to Edward. "Seth says hi," I told him with a laugh.

Edward laughed too, "Well, tell him I said hi, too. But I'm gonna let you hang out with them. I'll be at your house tomorrow morning," He said. I could practically hear him grin.

I smiled. "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Edward's voice grew softer. "I can't wait for tomorrow," He replied.

I sighed. Tomorrow was Thursday. I couldn't wait either. "Same here," I told him.

"Bye, Bella."

"Bye, Edward." I hung up the phone. I turned around to face the boys. "Hey!" I greeted them cheerfully.

"Hey!" They were both just as happy. Then I took a closer look at Seth.

"Oh, Seth, did something happen? Your bruise looks worse," I commented.

He looked up, as if trying to look at it, and rubbed it. "I got hit today," He replied. Jacob looked fierce, but Seth was completely relaxed.

"Who hit you?" I asked.

He sighed, and this time his voice came out in a hiss. "Jane."

I tilted my head. "Who?" I asked.

Seth sighed. "She's part of the Volturi gang," I was about to say something, but he cut me off, "And before you go and rag on me about getting hit by a girl, let me tell you. She's mean, cold, sadistic, scary, and she hit me in a weak spot," He defended.

I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't going to rag on you. How old is this girl?" I asked.

"My age," He answered.

"Your age!" I gasped. A girl that young in a gang?

He nodded. "Yea, and she's one of the toughest in the gang. Along with being a favorite," He joked.

I was going to say something, but it was Jacob who cut me off this time. "Relax, Bella. Jane chose to be in a gang awhile back. Both her and her twin are in it. Both brutal," Jacob said with a slight growl.

"Why did she hit you?" I asked Seth.

He shrugged. "Because I'm in an enemy gang. Fact is she's a bitch, and now that I'm hurt, she's been messing with me, and a lot of other kids, knowing that I can't do much to stop her," Seth explained.

"They're all getting worse," Jacob said, "And Sam fears that it'll only get worse. I'm sure the Cullens have been talking about this subject too," Jacob said with a look my way.

I nodded. "Edward said that they'd been causing a lot of problems lately." I didn't say anything about them deciding to take action. I didn't want Jacob to get involved in that, and the idea of young Seth involving himself in it was hard to think about.

Jacob sighed, "Well, let's move onto lighter topics, shall we? What's on tomorrow's agenda?" He asked, smiling brightly at me.

I silently gulped. "Oh, I'm not going to be here tomorrow, I'll be out," I told them.

Jacob's face fell slightly. "Oh. Well where are you gonna be at?" He asked. Seth's face held the same question.

I took in a breath. "Well, I'm going on a date with Edward tomorrow," I replied timidly.

Jacob froze.

"Well that's great!" Seth exclaimed. "You two would be great together! Wouldn't they, Jake?" He asked.

Jacob spoke, but his words were rushed and his smile was forced. "Yeah, that's great. It'd be good for you two to go out."

I smiled my best as I thanked them. "I'm sorry if you guys had any plans for us tomorrow," I apologized.

Seth shook his head. "Nope. No plans. You have fun. It's about time you to go out, you're always together," He joked teasingly.

"Yeah," Jake agreed, "have fun. We'll come over Friday then." But I could hear the strain in his tone.

"Well," Said Seth, breaking the tension. "I have a question for you, Bella. Can you help me with my English homework?" He asked.

I looked back at him. "Oh! Sure, I'll help you," I told him.

His face lit up. "Great! My backpack is in the Rabbit. I'll be back in a minute." With that he raced outside to the misting rain.

It was quiet between us, I was tapping my fingers on the table, and Jake was looking at the ceiling as if it was the most beautiful piece of artwork he'd ever seen.

Finally he let out a loud sigh. "So, you and Cullen huh?" His voice was indifferent, but his face was upset.

I felt horrible for hurting him.

"Yeah, he asked me out on Sunday, before they left. He said he was going to ask me at the party, but then you guys showed up." I stopped myself before I started to ramble.

After I'd spoken my last sentence, his lips pulled into a small, smug grin. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin his moment." There was no sincerity his voice or face. I didn't chide him on it.

Seth came bounding back in, his pack on his back. "Here it is. The subject is on the book _The Christmas Carol_. Think you can help?" He asked, pulling out a book and a few sheets of paper.

Jake scoffed. "Can she help? She's a wiz at English, and books. Show 'em, Bells," He boasted. My cheeks flamed with heat at his praise. I'd never considered myself a wiz at literature, just smart.

I smiled. "Ok, where are you at, Seth?" I asked.

"We're really just starting," He handed me a paper. "We just got past Marley's ghost, and I didn't read it, so I have no idea what the answers are." Although it wasn't anything to be proud of, his face was radiant, and his smile was huge, his teeth shining.

"Ok, well then this should be really simple," I told him.

He rolled his eyes with exaggeration. "Right, go ahead and brag!" He mocked his offense and outrage hilariously.

"Shut up, Seth. It's not my fault you didn't read it," I replied.

Both Jacob and he laughed raucously.

**Ok, so as I said in the last chapter, this one wasn't as long either. Volturi will be introduced to Bella in the next chapter somehow. If anyone has an idea tell me, because so far I have no clue. But either way it will be done. More Alice and Jasper in the next chapter. Mostly Jasper being overprotective. A little bit more Bella and Edward, of course. Then again there should always be at least a little Bella and Edward in a chapter. Anyways, R&R.**

**Animeaddict.**


	12. The Volturi

**Disclaimer - I do not own Twilight**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 11: The Volturi

Bella's POV

I woke up to the sound of a car driving past the house. When I looked out the window, I could see Charlie's cruiser turn the corner. I sighed happily. Today was Thursday. My date with Edward was tonight. My thoughts were swirling around that fact as I got ready for school. But just as I walked downstairs, there was a sharp and tense knock on the door. I opened the door and was shocked to see Edward. But when I took in his expression I was frightened. His eyes were narrowed, his jaw was tight, and his good hand was clenched into a fist.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked hurriedly, stumbling over my words.

His voice was strained as he spoke. "The Volturi wanted to talk to us behind the school before anyone would get there. All of us are going, girls included, which means you too. We have to leave quickly," He explained.

I gulped. The Volturi was supposedly a much bigger gang than the Cullens'. And they had been causing problems with each other. What would they want? But before I could do anything, Edward was picking up my backpack and handing me my shoes. I took them silently and put them on. I locked the door, and walked out with Edward. It wasn't raining yet, but the heavy overcast suggested that rain wasn't far off. In front of my house were Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie in Edward's Volvo, and Jasper on his motorcycle. Jasper gave a nod of greeting to me, and when I got into the passenger seat of the Volvo, I received quiet hellos. Edward took off, speeding down the empty roads.

"What about the others?" I finally spoke.

"They're all going to be meeting us there," Emmett replied. When I looked back, his body was tense, but I could see the glimmer of excitement and elation in his eyes. He hadn't wanted to wait a week, and he could just get his wish soon. But as Edward drove, my eyes zoomed in on his broken finger. The sight made me remember all the other injuries the boys had received. The thought of them fighting again made me internally cringed.

When we pulled up to the school, few cars were there. I only took notice of the cars belonging to the members of Twilight. We all got out of the car, and Jasper hopped off his bike. Once they were close, Alice took his hand in hers, her face defensive and tense. I knew that she didn't like the idea of Jasper getting into another fight as much as Rosalie and I hated the idea for Emmett and Edward. Waiting for us behind the school was the whole gang along with Angela and Tia.

"How much time, Ben?" Edward asked.

Ben looked at his watch. "If they planned to be right on time, then we have less than five minutes," He said, his words ringing in the air.

We all moved, unconsciously standing in a sort of line. I was nervous, and decided to pass the time by counting the minutes.

I hadn't even reached three when we all heard the crunch of a group of people walking on gravel. It was coming our way. And then they all turned the corner. My eyes swept across the group of teenagers walking toward us. And once they all stopped walking, I noticed three boys standing in front of all of them. The leaders no doubt.

"Hello, Edward," One addressed, his voice brightly energetic. His hair was a silky black and it reached slightly passed his shoulders. His eyes were a bright green. His skin was a deathly white. He was wearing a grey sweatshirt with a high neck, and black pants. On his shirt was their symbol. A V and I connected.

"Hello, Aro. You seem happy? What is this meeting about?" Edward asked, his words polite, but his tone ice cold.

It wasn't Aro that answered. It was the boy on his right. "I assure you it's not a friendly visit. We wish to talk about the dominance of this school." The boy's voice was chilling. He had a shock of snow white hair and the same green eyes. He had a black jacket over a red shirt and black pants. The symbol was tattooed on his neck.

Emmett spoke up. "I don't believe my brother was talking to you, Caius," Emmett sneered.

Caius glared at Emmett. I looked him over again. Then I looked at the other boy. This must be Marcus. His hair was just above his shoulders. His tired and bored eyes were a forest green. He wore a red sweatshirt with a very loose collar. His jeans were a dull grey. His symbol was partly showing on his shoulder, the rest covered by his shirt.

Before Caius could retort, Aro spoke. "You are right, but I'm sad to report that my brother is right. We do wish to discuss that matter," He explained.

"No one has dominance of the school," Benjamin said from his standing place.

Aro ignored him, his eyes glued to me in a surprised wonder and excitement.

"Oh! I forgot that dear Bella was with your group," He replied to Edward. Then he stepped forward, looking at me. "Hello, Bella. I'm sorry for not formally introducing ourselves. We are the Volturi. I am Aro Volturi, and these are my brothers, Caius and Marcus." He took my hand in a friendly manner.

"And this is the rest of our stunning gang. These are the twins Jane and Alec, Afton, twin brothers Demitri, and Felix, Chelsea, Heidi, Renata, and cousins Santiago and Corin," He recited.

Jane and Alec were intimidating for their age, being only fourteen as Jacob had said.

Jane had brown hair that was in beautiful curls at her shoulders. Her eyes were a smokey grey and her eyeliner was thick. Her ears had multiple piercings, and her outfit was entirely black. Her shirt cut off on the bottom, pointing into a triangle, showing off the Volturi tattoo on her stomach. Her skirt was short, and her stockings were a lighter black.

Alec looked a lot like his sister. His hair was brown and of a normal length. His eyes shrouded in eyeliner, making the grey in his eyes more prominent. Not only was his ear pierced repeatedly too, but also his lip. His shirt was silk and black, sleeves reaching his elbows. His jeans were baggy and black. Hanging on a chain that connected all around his body was a red polygon with the Volturi symbol. His pale hands wore fingerless gloves.

Afton was the same boy we had seen at the mall that day. His hair was up in the same way, and his accessories hadn't changed. But now he had on a black rock band T-shirt and grey jeans.

Demitri was tall and lean. His skin was a nice olive tone. His eyes were a forest green. His dark black hair reached past his shoulders. He had on a long black trench coat and a crimson shirt under it. His pants were a navy-blue. His symbol was on his collarbone, mostly covered by his shirt.

His brother Felix was frightening. He was almost as big as Emmett was. His hair was shorter, a blanket of ebony silk on his head. His eyes were a lustrous green. He wore only blue jeans and a dark red jacket, leaving it open, showing off his toned stomach and his tattoo.

Chelsea looked horribly out of place. Her hair was two shades darker than strawberry blonde, a pinkish color, and it was held up in pigtails. Her eyes were an eager blue. Her ears were pierced only once. She wore a purple jacket with white trim on the hood. Her small skirt was a cute black. I noticed her tattoo on her right thigh, her skirt barely covering it. It shocked me when I noticed Afton's arm around her. They looked nothing alike, and if they were together, my bet was that they gave the definition to opposites attract.

Heidi was stunning, her beauty almost matching Rosalie's. Her hair was long, and a mahogany tint. Her eyes were a sultry shade of blue. She wore a red halter top and a short leather jacket over it. Her pants were tight and black. Her tattoo was on her waist. The black ink contrasted with her pale skin.

Renata didn't look like a gang member. She was tiny, not Alice tiny, but tiny. She was thin and her frame was small. Her hair was short and blonde, her eyes hazel. Her closed jacket was a dark blue, and her pants were an army green. Her tattoo was on the side of her neck.

Santiago was different. He was really, really tall. He towered over Emmett, but he was terribly thin. His frame matched that of Alice. His hair was a natural red and it only just reached past his ears. His eyes were an innocent green. His T-shirt was a baby blue and his track pants were red. His tattoo was on his left forearm.

His cousin Corin was the complete opposite, and if I hadn't been told, I would have never considered them to be related. He was short, as short as Alice, but his bulk reminded me of Quil. His hair was messy and sticking up. It was an ebony black color. His blue eyes shone from under his bangs. He wore an orange v-neck shirt without sleeves, despite the cool wind. His pants were a dark grey. His tattoo was on his right shoulder.

The gang was larger than the Twilights, but not by much. They still scared me.

"Aro," Edward addressed, "maybe we should get this meeting rolling?"

Aro let go of my hand and stood back with his brothers. "Yes, I guess we should," He sighed sadly.

"When would you like to fight?" Caius asked bluntly.

"Is there no way to avoid it?" Edward asked.

Caius shook his head arrogantly, his eyes malicious.

"I'm sorry, Edward," Aro apologized.

Edward nodded, then turned to Ben. "When do you think?" He asked.

Ben didn't look at Edward when he answered. His eyes intent on the Volturi. "I'd say sometime in two weeks," He suggested.

"Ok, then two weeks from tomorrow. Is that fine?" Edward asked.

Caius nodded. "That's fine with me. Brothers?" He asked, a cruel smile on his face.

Aro sighed. "I guess since there is no other way. Marcus?" He turned to his silent brother.

Marcus's voice was bored and lacked the excitement as Caius's or the joy as Aro's. "Whatever. It doesn't matter to me." I couldn't imagine him actually participating in anything, much less a fight.

"Then we'll see you then. We'll tell you where to meet us the day before the fight. Bye." And with those last words, Caius turned and started to leave.

Aro smiled brightly and nodded to Alice. "Have a good day, Alice. I hope to see you later," He said politely. He didn't even flinch when Jasper's fist clenched and he took a defensive step forward.

"Good bye, Aro," Alice dismissed, holding Jasper's hand, keeping him by her side. He nodded once more, to all of us this time, and left to the front of the school.

Emmett glared at their retreating figures. "What happened to waiting only a week?" He demanded.

"We need the time, Emmett," Ben answered. "They out number us by four. We need to get a few others to fight with us, that way none of us gets double-teamed."

Emmett scoffed. "Have you seen me?" He asked flexing. "I could take down at least four!" He boasted.

"But you are probably the only one who can take on Felix, and he is almost as big as you. You won't be able to finish fighting him and then move onto the others," Eric stated.

Emmett heaved a sigh. "Well, I bet Rose could take on Heidi, and Alice is about Jane's height," He commented casually.

"NO!" Both Edward and Jasper exclaimed.

Emmett took a step back. "Why?" He asked.

Edward's face was smooth, but his eyes were outraged. "I'm not going to have my baby sister included in a gang fight," Edward explained. Jasper gave a stiff nod. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Well Rose could still take Heidi," Emmett repeated.

"That's up to Rosalie," Edward replied.

"Rose?" Emmett asked.

Rosalie's grin was smug. "I have no problem with fighting her," She claimed. Emmett's responding smile was smug too.

Ben gave a stiff nod. "Ok. I'll keep that in mind, and if we need the extra person, I'll be sure to tell you."

Rosalie's face lit with excitement.

"But," Ben interjected, "I say give me two weeks to lay out a complete plan, and for now we go to class," He suggested, a ghost of smile playing on his face.

Edward grinned. "I think that would be smart. We'll meet at lunch."

Then we all separated for class.

At Lunch

The day was passing slower than normal. Tension filled any room when any of the Volturi members were in it. I instinctively flinched when one brushed pasted my arm. Now we sat at our normal lunch table. Our conversations were casual as always, but every minute, at least one pair of eyes from our table flickered over to the Volturi's table. Mine usually joined them in staring.

"So, I was thinking," Alice said, bringing me to the current conversation, "that we should have a shopping trip."

All of us, except the other girls, groaned.

"Alice, we went last weekend," I reminded her.

"Yeah, but not with the guys," She argued.

"Jasper went!" I replied.

She rolled her eyes. "Not all of the guys went last time," She corrected.

I groaned. "Alice, I am not going on another shopping trip with you for a month," I declared. But as soon as she gave me a very mean look, my confidence disappeared. Then her eyes lit up and her lips pulled up into a wicked smile.

"Ok, Bella, I'll make you a deal," She said slowly, "Unless it is a horrible emergency I won't take you shopping until the end of the first week next month," Alice promised.

I smiled. "That's fine with me," I told her.

"Wait!" She raised her hand to stop me. "I'm not done. I will promise that, if you let me dress you properly for you and Edward's date tonight." Now it was her smile that was triumphant.

"But . . . but . . . I," I spluttered, unable to form a complete sentence. Both options were torture. I looked up at Edward and gave him a pleading glance. He was smiling, amused at the ordeal, but he sighed and looked toward Alice.

"Alice, it takes you forever to dress Bella up, and I would hate to have our time shortened. I can't keep her out too long, it's a school night, tonight," Edward reminded.

Alice gave a pout. "This doesn't include you, Edward," She complained.

Edward grinned. "Well, it's my date too. But I'll tell you what, I'll save Bella, and you can dress me up any way you want to tonight," He promised.

Everyone gave him an incredulous look.

Alice's perfect eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You will? You really will?" She asked.

He nodded. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

"Wow," Emmett murmured. "He must really like you, Bella." Everyone nodded in agreement.

I blushed heavily.

Alice smiled like a child at Christmas. "Ok, Edward, it's a deal!"

He nodded in agreement. Then he leaned toward me and whispered, "You owe me so much."

I grinned. "More than you could imagine," I whispered back.

After School

Edward's POV

I dropped Bella off at her house and now I was making my way back home to face Alice. I was nervous, not only about Alice, but about the date. I had a whole game plan of what we were going to do tonight, but I wasn't sure if she would like it. It wasn't even time yet and I was already sweating bullets.

I pulled up into our garage to see Rosalie's BMW, and Jasper's motorcycle. The thought of Rosalie being here too, scared me. Alice getting me ready was one thing, but Alice _and_ Rosalie? I shuddered.

I walked inside, and Emmett and Jasper were sitting on the couch watching a game. They both looked up at me and grinned.

"The girls are waiting upstairs for you in your room," Jasper said.

"Sorry, dude," Emmett stated.

I nodded with a sigh. I went up the stairs to my bedroom door. I thought about leaving and hiding out at one of the guy's house.

"Come in, Edward," Alice called.

How did she always know?

I opened my door and walked in. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but it wasn't good. On my desk was a bunch of bottles and other weird things. My clothes were strewn about the room, and covered my bed. Alice was sorting through the ones on my bed, while Rosalie went though my dresser.

"Sit down at your desk chair," Alice commanded. I sighed and did as she told me. Alice left her place at my bed and came over to me. She picked up a bottle and a comb. She gave me an encouraging smile, and she started to spray my hair.

"How long will this take?" I asked, looking up at her hands the best I could as she started to comb though my hair.

"Depends," Alice answered.

"On what?" I asked.

"Your hair, and how long it takes Rosalie to decide on an outfit for you to wear." At least she was honest in her answer.

"Hey, Edward," Rosalie called form my dresser.

"Yeah?"

"Nice underwear," She commented, holding a pair of my boxer up in her hand.

I glared at her. "Out them back, and get out of my dresser drawers!" I growled. I felt Alice's fingers stop, and her body was slightly shaking, giggles of laughter coming out through her lips.

Rosalie shrugged. "Don't get your panties in a snitch, Eddie," She said as she dropped them back in, and steeped away from it.

"Don't call me that," I told her.

"Whatever you say, Eddie," She said as she sorted through my clothes.

I let out a large breath.

"Hey, Rose, come do his hair, I'll choose his outfit," Alice said.

"Ok," Rosalie replied. She took the comb and bottle from Alice's hands and took over working with my hair, while Alice started to look over all of my clothes. I watched as Rosalie switched bottles, and watched as Alice switched to putting some of my clothes away.

"So, Rose, how are things with Emmett?" Alice asked.

Rosalie smiled. "It's great, in all aspects if you know what I mean," She answered. I almost gagged.

Alice giggled. "Really, Emmett hasn't caused a problem?" She asked.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Well, he causes problems with my dad, but that's normal. He and my dad are always causing problems," Rosalie explained.

"Understandable."

"Well, what about you and Jasper?"

"We are doing great! He is so sweet!"

"Really?" Rosalie asked, "How so?"

"Well, he's been coming up to my window at nights."

My eyes widened.

"Really?" Rosalie squealed. "That is so romantic! When did he start doing that?"

Alice smiled. "Not too long ago. Although he usually comes if he and his dad get into an argument," Alice admitted.

Rosalie grinned mischievously, "And you get to comfort him?" She asked.

My eyes got wider.

"Rosalie!" Alice gasped, throwing a pillow at her back, "Not like that! We usually just fall asleep with each other," She explained.

"So, have you two?" Rosalie trailed off, knowingly.

"Ok!" I yelled. "That is freaking enough! I do not want to hear anymore, and I didn't want to hear any at all!" I exclaimed.

Both girls looked at each other, then started to laugh. I looked at them incredulously.

Alice spoke first. "Sorry, Edward, we're used to it being Bella, or one of the other girls," She apologized.

"Yeah, and none of that can leave this room. It's part of the code," Rosalie told me, her eyes narrowed.

"Or what?" I asked jokingly.

"Or we smother you in your sleep, or we do worse," Rosalie said, her voice casual and relaxed. Alice didn't look like Rose was kidding, and I didn't put it past those two to smother me.

I sighed. "Ok. I won't say anything. Sounds like Jasper's harmless, anyway. Nothing horrible, I guess," I muttered.

Alice smiled widely. "Great!"

"And, I'm done with your hair. It's almost the same look, but it's more . . . sex hair-like," She explained.

I rolled my eyes. "Um . . . ok."

"Here's your clothing for the evening," Alice said, handing me a bundle of clothing. "Go into the bathroom and change."

I nodded and went to change. My shirt was silk and black, with sleeves that went no farther than my elbows. My jeans were baggy and a lighter shade of black than the shirt. When I looked in my mirror, I had to agree with Rosalie. My hair did have a more sex-like look to it. And all together, I looked really good. I left the bathroom to get my approval from the girls.

They squealed when they saw me.

"Edward, you look hot!" Alice praised.

"Bella won't be able to resist," Rosalie commented.

It felt weird to receive their compliments, so I thanked them.

"Come on," Alice grabbed my hand, "We have to show the others."

They pulled me out of the room and down the stairs to the living room, where Emmett and Jasper were still watching tv.

"Ok, boys, what do you think?" Rosalie asked.

Both guys looked back over the couch.

Emmett whistled. "Lookin good, Eddie Boy!"

"You look good, Edward," Jasper agreed.

"Mom, could you come here and take a look at Edward?" Alice called.

Mom came in from the kitchen and smiled. Alice started to spin me around like a showcase.

"What do you think?" Alice asked.

"I think you look very dashing, Edward. Bella is a very lucky girl," Mom gushed.

I felt my cheeks get slightly hotter.

"Well, with you looking that color, you and Blushing Bella should match!" Emmett joked.

"Shut up, Emmett," I muttered. I turned to Alice, "May I go now?" I asked.

Alice looked me over once more. Then she smiled. "Yep! You're ready! GO get her!" She cheered.

I rolled my eyes, as I walked to the door. "I'll be home later." Then I was out the door.

I ran into the garage and hopped into my car. As soon as I pulled out, I zoomed down the large drive, racing toward Bella's house. I pulled out my phone, dialing as I went.

"Hello?" A deep voice asked.

"Charlie? It's Edward," I said.

"Oh, Edward! Hi, what's up?" He asked.

"Um, nothing. Could I talk to Bella please?"

"Sure, one moment," He said, and I heard him call for her. "So how's you family?" He asked.

"Good, they're all fine."

"How's your sister?" He asked.

I shook my head and tried not to laugh. "She's fine. Very hyper, very happy about her and Jasper finally dating," I told him.

"Yeah, I heard about those two, 'bout time I say," He replied with a chuckle. "Oh, well here's Bells. Nice talking to ya, Edward."

"You too, Charlie."

There was a small shuffle on the other line. "Hi, Edward," Bella said.

"Hey, I figured I call and tell you that I'm on my way," I told her.

"Oh! Great, thanks for calling."

"Have you told you dad?" I asked.

I could hear her gulp. "Not exactly," She answered.

I smiled. "Well, why don't you tell him before I get there. Let him know what you'll be doing," I suggested.

She sighed. "Ok. That's probably smart. So I guess I'll see you here?" She said.

"Yeah, give me three to four minutes. Bye, Bella."

"Bye, Edward." She hung up the phone.

I sighed as I put my phone back into my pocket. I stared out onto the almost empty roads. And in no time, I pulled up to Swan household. My heart pounded as I walked up to their door. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

**Ok, so a bad cliffhanger. But the next chapter will be the date, and I'm not sure what I want to have them do, so if you have any ideas, go ahead and throw them at me. As I promised, the Volturi intros, some Alice and Jasper, Bella and Edward, and some news on Rosalie and Emmett. My next chapter will hopefully be up soon, but I'm not completely sure.**

**Animeaddict**


	13. Love's First Date

**Ok, so this is the complete date between Edward and Bella. I decided to include a flashback of when they were little, just for fun. I might have some others in later chapters, maybe not. I'm just kind of going with the flow on this story, but anyway, back to the chapter.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Twilight**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 12: Love's First Date

Bella's POV

I am so nervous. After my conversation with Edward over the phone, I was close to shaking. My face was already growing hot at a steady rate.

It wasn't that I was afraid of Charlie not approving of Edward. Charlie would love to have me and Edward go out. I was afraid of bringing up dating. Charlie and I were never good at talking about things like this, and we still suck at it. But Edward was right. Charlie deserved to know.

But I was also nervous about the date altogether. I'd always kind of liked him. He was always so . . . charming.

**Flashback**

I was four, and I was staying with Charlie for the entire summer. An hour after arriving at Forks, Charlie decided to introduce me to his best friend, Carlisle Cullen, and his family.

"You'll love 'em, Bells," Charlie gushed, "He's got three kids. Two boys, and one girl. One of the boys is a year older than you, but the other boy and the girl are both your age. You'll love his daughter. She is simply adorable!"

I sighed and nodded.

He pulled up into an almost invisible driveway, leading up to a big and beautiful house. Charlie stopped the car and helped me get out. He took my hand and led me up to the door.

"Are you ready?" Charlie asked as he knocked.

"I guess," I answered.

There were quiet footsteps from the other side before the door opened to reveal a very handsome man with light blonde hair and crystal blue eyes.

"Charlie, good to see ya!" The man greeted. He and Charlie shared a punch to the shoulder.

"And this," Charlie said, pulling me closer, "is Bella. Bella, this is Carlisle Cullen."

Carlisle leaned down. "Why hello, Bella. It's nice to finally meet you," He greeted.

I blushed. "Hi," I mumbled.

Carlisle laughed. "Takes after you doesn't she, Charlie," He teased, standing back up.

"Shut up," Charlie retorted.

We walked inside to see a lovely woman standing by the piano. She had caramel curls cascading down her shoulders, and sea-foam eyes. Someone was playing a child's tune on the piano, missing the occasional note, but I couldn't see who.

At our entrance, the woman turned to greet us.

"Charlie, it's nice to see you! And you must be Bella!" She gave me a quick hug. "I'm Esme Cullen."

I smiled shyly. "Hi. Nice to meet you," I said timidly.

She smiled, then turned back to the piano, but then looked directly behind her. She grabbed someone's hand and pulled them in front of her.

"And this here is Edward. He's your age," She introduced.

The little boy was cute. His bronze hair was messy, curling and twisting around his eyes. His eyes were a lovely shade of green. He held onto his mother's hand tightly. His eyes were glued to the floor.

"Hi," I greeted.

He looked up at me. "Hello, Bella," He murmured, his voice childishly alluring.

Carlisle smiled and went by the grand staircase.

"Emmett! Alice! Come down here, please," He yelled.

In no time, we could all hear the loud pounding of footsteps up above us. Two small children were running down to us.

One was a boy, bigger than the rest of us kids. He had curly brown hair and midnight blue eyes.

The little girl was tiny, and her every step was graceful. Her short hair was a silky black, her eyes a bright green.

They both raced toward us, and screeched to a halt by Edward.

The adults laughed.

"This is Alice and Emmett," Esme said, "Kids, this is Bella."

The little girl stepped up. "Hi, Bella! I'm Alice! It's great to meet you! Uncle Charlie is always talking about you!" She pulled me into a tight hug.

She stepped back. And before I could say anything, the boy pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, knocking the air out of me, lifting me off of my feet, and spinning me around.

"Hi, Bells! I'm Emmett!" He yelled in my ear.

"Woah, Emmett, calm down," Charlie laughed.

Emmett laughed loudly and put me down. He turned to Alice. "Come one, Allie! We gots to finish our picture!" He looked at me, "Come with us, Bella!"

With that, both he and Alice ran up the stairs.

The adults smiled.

"Edward, why don't you take Bella upstairs, and all of you kids can play," Esme suggested. Then the adults left the room.

Edward sighed. "I'm sorry about my brother and sister. They get real excited real easy," He apologized.

He took my hand to lead me upstairs, and he flashed a dazzling grin.

**End of Flashback**

I sighed happily at the memory. Then there was a knock at the door. My heart started to speed up.

"I'll get it!" I yelled. I walked swiftly to the door, and opened it with shaking hands. Edward stood on the other side, he was breathtakingly beautiful.

He grinned crookedly, "Hey," He greeted.

I let go of the breath I'd been unconsciously holding in. "Hi, Edward."

"Did you tell Charlie?" He asked.

I almost smacked my forehead. "No, I was going to, but I went off into space shortly after you called," I told him sheepishly.

He chuckled. "Well, let's both tell him now, shall we?" He asked. My heart stammered lightly when he said _we_.

"I . . . um, guess so," I stammered, my cheeks burning.

He grinned. "Charlie, could you come here for a second?" Edward called.

"Edward?" Charlie asked loudly as he walked into the hall. "What are you doing here?"

Edward grinned, "Charlie, we thought you should know that we decided to go on a date tonight," Edward told him.

Charlie's face lit up. "Really? Why didn't you tell me, Bells?" He accused lightly.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't get around to it, I guess," I told him.

Both men rolled their eyes.

"Do you approve, Charlie?" Edward asked.

Charlie smiled. "Of course, Edward. Just make sure you have her home by midnight," Charlie told him.

Edward nodded, "She'll be safe with me."

I blushed.

Charlie laughed, "Well you two head on out then." It was a clear dismissal.

We both said goodbye and left the house. When we reached the Volvo, Edward opened the door for me, and climbed into the driver's side.

"So, where are we going?" I asked as he started driving.

He grinned. "It's a surprise," He told me.

I sighed. "Well, how was Alice?" I asked, my own smile teasing.

He only grimaced slightly. "It wasn't all bad. Rosalie helped, and hearing them talk was exhausting," He admitted.

I laughed. "That's why we love 'em," I joked, and he laughed with me.

I thought over my first time meeting the Cullens when I was four again. Then something hit me, something I'd never took notice of before.

"Hey, Edward."

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I was thinking about when we first met, and I realized that I came here every summer and I never met Jasper or Rosalie. Where were they at?" I inquired.

He grinned. "They both go on vacations every summer with their families. Jasper ends up going to Texas to visit the rest of his family, and Rosalie's family ends up going somewhere new every year," He explained.

"Oh. Emmett never went with Rosalie?" I asked.

He chuckled. "No. Rosalie's dad and one of her brothers don't like Emmett at all. And every chance he gets he acts like an ass toward them."

I cocked my head. "Rosalie has a brother?"

"Actually, she has two. They're twins, fourteen-years-old. The oldest, William III, is the one that doesn't like Emmett. The younger one, Kevin, idols Emmett. He's a cool kid. Wants to join the gang next year if Rose will let him."

"What about her mom?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Rosalie's mom doesn't have a problem with him. She wished she'd choose someone else, but if Rose is happy, then so is she," He told me.

We filled the rest of the car ride with casual conversation and jokes. It'd been over a half hour when I noticed the familiar streets of Port Angeles.

"So, are you going to tell me what we're doing tonight?" I pleaded.

Edward grinned. "First, we're going to a movie. A classic first date cliche," He joked.

I laughed. "Classic is right. Gonna put your arm around me while you stretch too?" I teased.

He laughed and looked at me. "Maybe I will, and maybe I won't."

My heart was desperately wishing that he would.

He parked the car, and went around to open my door. Once we got out, he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. My cheeks flushed brightly. He chuckled.

Edward's POV

We decided to see an action movie, neither of us wanting to sit through a chick flick. I was eternally thankful for that. I did the cliche thing and bought the tickets and popcorn and anything else she wanted. She let me choose where we would sit and I chose a spot in the back row. The movie wasn't very popular, leaving us being the only ones in the back row. It was a sign from God.

We got there at the perfect time, because after seven minutes of sitting there, the previews started. I concentrated on the movie the best I could. Sitting next to Bella didn't help me focus. Her beauty was constantly distracting me. Her lustrous hair swirling around her face, her innocent chocolate eyes intent, yet bored, on the movie. I thought back to our earlier conversation on the cliche date and arm technique and decided to give it a try.

I stretched quietly, not wanting to be obvious, and set my arm on the back of her chair. But as I did this she leaned forward onto her knees, her eyes now excited and focused on the screen. I looked at the screen. It had gotten to the big shooting scene. I pulled my arm back.

"Stupid movie," I muttered.

Bella turned to me and whispered, "Did you say something?"

I shook my head no. She turned back to the screen and I stared to mumble incoherent curses.

I put all my concentration back on the movie, and the movie was quite interesting. Lot of blood and gore, with a beautiful amount of violence. It was half way through the movie when I took notice of Bella leaning back in her seat, her hand on the armrest. I took the moment, and took her hand in mine. My cheeks felt hot, and when I took a glimpse at her, she was looking at me, her cheeks a cherry red. I smiled at her, and she smiled back and didn't move her hand. Her skin was warm and smooth. I had a small piece of heaven in my hand.

The movie ended like all other movies, the good guys winning. We left the theater telling each other our own reviews on it.

"I thought it was good. I liked the fight scenes. They were nicely choreographed. And the romance was at a minimal," I commented.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd like to keep the romance level small. I thought it could have used a little more, not too much. And the fighting and blood was awesome," She stated.

I thought that logic through. "Well . . . I guess I can see where the romance wasn't enough, but all in all it was a good movie," I said as I opened the car door for her. I walked to the driver's side and got it.

"I loved it. I hope they make a sequel. They made the ending way too open," she replied. I nodded in agreement as I pulled out of the parking lot. We were casually silent until I pulled into a small Italian restaurant. I got out and opened her door. I took her hand before entering the restaurant.

"Hello, welcome to Le Belle," The hostess greeted with much enthusiasm, "Table for two?" she asked me, ignoring Bella.

I wasn't paying much attention to her. "Yes, please," I told her, my eyes focused on Bella.

The hostess wasn't deflated in her attempt. "Right this way please," She said, leading us to a table, that I notice was in clear view of the door. We would be in her eyesight as she greeted people. I rolled my eyes. When we reached our table, I pulled out Bella's seat, and sat down in my own seat next to her. Once we were situated, I took her hand and displayed the affection on the table for the hostess to see, giving her a polite smile.

Her face fell only slightly, and her enthusiasm became fake. "Your server will be with you soon." With those words she turned her back and left. I looked toward Bella, and her face was amused.

"What was that?" She asked, a grin stretching across her face.

I only smiled. "Nothing, just letting her know that I'm unavailable. No reason for her to waste her time on something that is unattainable for her to have," I replied sincerely, squeezing her hand gently.

Then our server came, her eyes on me only. Her height and build were average, her hair black and her eyes a dull green. Her smile was big and what she probably thought as seductive.

"Hello," She greeted, "I'm Amber, and I will be you server tonight. Would you like anything to drink?" She asked me.

I looked at Bella. "What would you like?" I asked. The hostess reluctantly looked at her.

She shrugged. "A Coke?" She suggested.

I smiled at her. "Two Cokes," I said, never looking away from Bella's eyes.

"I'll be back with those in a minute," Amber said, leaving us to ourselves

"So," Bella said, "how is your thumb?"

I shrugged. "It's ok. I don't pay much attention to it. Only hurts if I move it too much. Dad says it might even heal a little quicker than most," I explained.

She smiled. "That's great!" She enthused.

Then Amber came back, and set our drinks down in front of us. She looked at me. "Have you decided on what you would like to eat?" She asked.

I looked at Bella. "Actually, I'm not that hungry at the moment. What do you want?" I asked Bella. And I wasn't lying. The butterflies in my stomach made my appetite vanish.

"Um, Mushroom Ravioli please," Bella ordered.

Amber nodded and quickly wrote down the order. She looked at me. "Are you sure there's nothing I could get you?" She asked, her words giving off a double meaning.

I shook my head. "Nope, I'm good," I told her.

She nodded and left the table.

I turned back to Bella. "So how's your mom doing?" I asked.

Bella smiled. "She's fine. She and Phil have been getting along fine. I miss them terribly," She said, but she didn't show her longing for her mother or for Phoenix.

"That's good. I'm glad she's doing well. I haven't seen her in a long time," I said.

She nodded. "So, what did Emmett and Jasper have to say about your time with Alice and Rosalie?" She asked.

I grinned. "Oh, not much, but I bet they're having a good laugh at my expense now," I joked, although I was serious.

She giggled. "You know, I can see the relation between her and Emmett, but you two are nothing alike. As far as twins go, you two are totally different," She commented.

I was slightly shocked. Twins? "Oh, you don't know about Alice?" I asked.

Now she was confused. "What about Alice?" She asked.

"She's adopted," I told her.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Adopted?" She asked, wanting to know more, but Amber came back with Bella's food. She set it down and looked at me.

"Do you want anything now?" She asked.

I shook my head.

She smiled. "Ok, tell me if you need anything." She turned around and left us.

Bella immediately went back to our previous conversation. "Alice was adopted?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I thought you knew. I was thinking that she or your dad told you already," I said.

She shook her head. "No, no one told me."

I shrugged. "Oh well. It doesn't matter. She's not sensitive about it or anything. You can ask her about it if you want," I told her.

"When was she adopted?" Bella asked.

I almost chuckled. She would probably never be able to bring it up with Alice. She was too shy. But it wasn't my story to tell.

"I'll tell you the basics, because I don't know all the facts. But when she was maybe a month or so old, she was given up, and we adopted her. She's been with us ever since. We all know. And even though she's adopted she's a Cullen by heart and mind. None of us would trade her for the world, and she wouldn't leave for the world," I explained.

Bella smiled softly. "That's true. But has she ever met her parents?" She asked.

I thought for a moment. "I don't think so. In fact, I'm pretty sure she hasn't," I answered.

"Does that bother her?"

"No, Alice is very casual about the whole thing."

Bella smiled. "Only Alice," She laughed.

I laughed with her. Only Alice indeed. The adoption wasn't a sore spot for any of us. None of never brought it up, but not because she was sensitive, but because it didn't matter. We loved her. She is Emmett and I's baby sister, and she is Mom and Dad's little princess. And to her, Emmett and I are her brothers and Carlisle and Esme are her parents. And Charlie would always be her favorite uncle. I laughed.

"What?" Bella asked.

I smiled. "I was just thinking about Alice being Charlie's favorite," I told her.

Her smile mirrored my own. "You know the story behind that?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. You were told about how he was when Renee left with you right?" I asked.

She looked slightly uneasy, but nodded.

"Well, it wasn't long after you and her left that we got Alice. She was kind of your replacement for him, and that love never left," I explained with a grin.

Bella smiled. "That's cute, and it explains a lot. I can see why he's always gushing over her," She commented.

I nodded. "I don't believe that there is one person in the world that wouldn't love Alice after meeting her."

Later in the Evening

Bella's POV

We'd left the restaurant and we were on our way back to my house. The waitress had continued to flirt, but Edward paid her no attention, and it made my heart soar knowing that I was where is attention was. We'd talked about everything there was to talk about. We argued about classic literature books, and about the idea of certain books being remade into movies repeatedly. We conversed about family and distant relatives, catching up on things we missed about each other. I still couldn't believe that Alice was adopted. If you looked at the Cullen family from a distance, you would never see it. There was no tension, no uncomfortable feeling. Only love and relaxing fun. They were the family that kids dreamed about having.

Edward pulled to a stop outside my house. The lights were still on. I wasn't surprised that Charlie would wait up for me. Edward got out and opened my door for me. He walked up to the door with me, and stopped.

I sighed. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Edward smiled. "I'll pick you in the morning," He assured me.

I smiled. "That sounds perfect," I said.

He chuckled. "Just to clear something up, does this make you my girlfriend, or do I have to take you out on another date or two?" He asked.

My face flushed with warmth. "I . . . um, I thought so," I admitted.

Edward's face turned a light shade of pink. "Good, I was hoping so." And with that his lips descended onto mine in a soft kiss. He pulled back.

"Goodnight, Bella," He said.

I tried to smile back, while my face seared with heat. "Bye, Edward."

Then he took my hand, and flashed me a dazzling grin.

Edward's POV

I made it home easily in the dark. The lights were on, and when I walked in, Alice bounced up from Jasper's lap and bounded toward me.

"How was it?" She asked excitedly. The others were all sitting on the couch, just as curious.

I grinned. "It went great. You and Rose did wonderfully on the styling of my hair and outfit," I told her.

Emmett grinned. "You plant one on her?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Emmett, we kissed, but not like you think."

He rolled his eyes. "Well at least you kissed. I can't fully complain."

I shook my head. "I'm gonna go upstairs. Maybe I'll go to sleep. Good night," I told them.

"Good night, Edward," Alice called.

I remembered something, and stopped mid-step.

"Alice?" I turned to face her.

She looked up at me. "What?" She asked.

"Did you never tell Bella about you being adopted?" I asked.

She gave me a puzzled look. "No, why?" She asked.

"Well, she didn't know that we weren't twins," I told her.

She looked shocked as did the others. "She didn't? I thought someone told her," She claimed.

"So did I. I thought you or Charlie had told her by now. She might bring it up with you," I explained.

She grinned. "Ok, thanks for the warning."

I grinned. "No problem. Have a good night's sleep," I teased, remembering listening to her and Rosalie's talk in my room.

Both she and Rosalie laughed, while the guys gave me confused looks. I shook my head and went up to my room. I went in and striped down to my boxers. It was way too warm in here. I turned on my stereo and turned it down to background music. I turned off the light and laid down on my bed, closing my eyes, my thoughts swirling about the beauty known as Isabella Swan.

**So, there is the complete date, with some Bella and Edward fluff of course. Also, some information on Alice and Rosalie. Our favorite Quileute gang will make another appearance in the next chapter. Maybe some Volturi appearances. Also, I'm thinking about adding a surprise appearance of another important person, if you can guess who it is.**

**Animeaddict **


	14. Let's Make A Deal

**Ok, so this chapter is important. A lot of important things happen, even if they don't seem big, they will be big later. Also, some parts are a little graphic, but nothing rated M. And some of the language might seem harsh, but again, nothing bad.**

**Disclaimer - Twilight is not mine.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 13: Let's Make A Deal

Bella's POV

I woke up to the lack of rain on the roof this morning. I was surprised. But then memories of the night before flooded my brain and I smiled dreamily. I got dressed in a blue T-shirt and jeans, rushing downstairs to eat a Poptart, hoping time would speed up and Edward would arrive soon. And with perfect timing a horn honked as I was putting on my shoes. I hurried out the door and locked it. But when I looked toward the driveway, I was disappointed and afraid at seeing a yellow Porsche instead of the sliver Volvo I'd come to love. As I walked toward it, I was praying that Edward was in it. But to my dismay, it was Alice who rolled down the window, and I could see the perfect golden hair of Rosalie in the seat next to her.

"Hop in," Alice told me. I sighed. I'd thought about running for my truck, but I would trip, and there was no way in Hell that I could out run Alice. Even if she was wearing heels. I reluctantly got in the backseat. And once I was settled in, the locks clicked, and Alice took off. I was a little uncomfortable being in the car. I wanted to ask Alice about her being adopted, but I couldn't bring it up.

"Where's Edward?" I asked, a little afraid of my answer.

Rosalie looked back at me with a grin. "Don't worry, Bella. Alice and I forced him to let us pick you up today. He's probably at school with the others," She assured.

"Yeah," Alice agreed, "We're kidnaping you for now. How was last night?"

I rolled my eyes. No wonder they'd come to get me. They planned to interrogate me.

"It was great," I answered.

Rosalie giggled. "Edward said you two kissed. It this true?" She asked.

I sighed. "Yes," I told her, my face getting hot.

Both girls giggled at my answer. "Is that all?" Alice asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked warily.

"I mean, did you two only kiss?" I could practically hear her roll her eyes at me.

"Yes! God, Alice, we kissed. That's it! What did you think we would do?" I demanded.

"Nothing," Alice defended, her voice innocent. "But Edward has a lot of sexual frustration, so I wasn't sure how far he would take it."

"Yeah, eventually he's going to sexually explode if he doesn't get laid," Rosalie replied.

I was sure by now that my face was a very bright red. "Not everyone is like you and Emmett, Rose," I muttered.

She smiled, at my answer or tone, I'm not sure. "Oh, I know, but the truth is that Edward really needs to get laid. Don't feel bad though. Jasper does too." Rosalie threw a sly look at Alice.

I almost giggled with Rosalie.

"Hey, that is not my choice. I would've slept with Jasper a while ago, but he insists that it be a very special moment," Alice defended.

My eyes widened. "Alice, you just started dating him!"

"Yeah, so? I've always loved him, I think that's enough. Jasper does too, but he's a little stubborn about some things," She answered.

"He's a gentleman of sorts," Rosalie said with a grin.

"Exactly," Alice agreed.

Rosalie started to giggle. "Hey, Bella, how much you wanna bet that Jasper's the Alpha male type?"

I blushed. "I don't want to get into that," I muttered.

Rosalie was still grinning. "I bet he is," She stated.

Alice sighed. "When it comes to sex, I hope he is," Alice said, longing in her tone.

Rosalie's grin got bigger, and my face got redder.

"So, you plan on playing bitch, Alice?" Rosalie questioned. I shook my head, not wanting to listen anymore.

Alice voice was playful. "Yep, in fact I do. Male dominance is good for one thing and one thing only," Alice stated.

Both of them laughed as Alice parked the car by a silver Volvo. My heart sped up. The locks clicked again, and I was quick to get out of the car. Alice and Rosalie laughed at my haste as they got out. We walked around to the back of the school, and when us girls came into the guys' sight, Edward's face lit up brightly and made my heart soar.

But Emmett had to be the one to ruin it.

"Heeey, Bella," He said with a mischievous grin. "How was your night?" He asked.

I blushed while Edward sent a vicious glare at Emmett.

"Shut up, Emmett," Edward seethed.

Emmett laughed. "Hey, just because it was good for you doesn't mean it was good for her," Emmett chided.

Edward gave a cruel grin. "You would know, wouldn't you, Emmett?"

Emmett gave Edward the glare this time, and jabbed his elbow at him.

I rolled my eyes and laughed at their little tiff. "Both of you stop. And, Emmett, shut up."

Emmett stopped fighting and laughed raucously.

"Excuse me," Rosalie spoke loudly, gathering everyone's attention. "But, Bella, I think you and I should share with the others about what we learned about Alice." Rosalie's grin was big, and her eyes amused, and I couldn't help but giggle at Alice's panicked expression.

"There's no need for that!" Alice exclaimed, her face flushed.

But all the guys were curious. "What did ya learn?" Emmett asked.

Rosalie averted her eyes, her grin still in place, but her lips were pressed tight holding in her laughed. "Well," She said after stopping the laughs, "if Alice doesn't want me to say, then I don't think I should."

Emmett was never one for defeat. "Come on, Rose, please!" He pleaded.

Alice gave Rosalie a sharp glance. But Rosalie only smiled and whispered something in Alice's ear. Alice started to giggle and she nodded her head at whatever Rosalie had said.

Rosalie turned back to the guys. "Do you really want to know?" She teased.

"Yes! Come on, Rosalie, just tell us!" Jasper said, eager to learn anything about Alice.

Rosalie sighed. "Well, ok."

Alice and I grinned wildly, giggling quietly, but the guys were all focused on Rose.

"Today, in the car, Bella and I learned that when it comes to sex, Alice intends to play bitch," Rosalie admitted, her face serious.

The boys were struck speechless. Emmett and Edward didn't even seem to be breathing.

Then Mike laughed. "Jasper, you are one lucky dude" He joked, and the other guys, excluding Jasper, Emmett, and Edward, started to laugh.

Then it was Emmett's turn to unfreeze. "What!? What the hell do you mean?" He demanded, and that knocked Edward back into reality, his face mildly disgusted. But Jasper was still frozen, it seemed. His eyes glued to Alice.

Rosalie's serious face slipped slightly. "I think you know what I mean, Emmett. But hey, at least you know that she _is_ still a virgin," Rosalie comforted.

"Why the hell were you three of you talking about this?" Edward asked.

"Alice," Emmett whined, "I didn't teach you to be the bitch! Come on!" He complained, making the other guys laugh harder.

Alice rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

"Emmett, are you saying that the guy should be the bitch?" Rosalie asked.

That made the guys stop laughing as they looked at him, their eyes amused.

"Well . . . no, but . . . ," Emmett stumbled through his sentence trailing off. The guys except Jasper still, started to laugh again, and this time Edward joined them.

Rosalie walked over and jabbed Jasper in the side playfully. "You ok there, Jazzy?" She asked.

Jasper snapped out of is slightly, and looked up at Rosalie. He shook his head as if trying to get something out of his head. "I'm sorry, what were you talking about?" He asked.

Rosalie grinned. "We were all laughing about Alice wanting to be your bitch during sex," She teased, and she giggled at the glazed look that went over Jasper's eyes.

Emmett was finally grinning again when he spoke. "Oh, come on, Rosie, that's not fair. He's already not getting any, don't put images in his head," Emmett chided.

Rosalie smiled at. "I'm just telling him so he knows what to expect," She said, innocence saturating her voice.

Emmett's amusement lightened at little. "He shouldn't be expecting anything," He muttered.

Nobody said anything to him, acting as if he hadn't spoken. No of them wanted to argue about his little sister's virginity with him. That was a war zone. And thankfully the bell rang, and everyone got up to go to their first class. Edward walked to my side, and grabbed my hand. I smiled, my face feeling warm, and he smiled back at me, his face perfectly beautiful.

Alice's POV

I walked ahead of everyone else on our way to English. I didn't want to hang around the boys, Edward and Bella were too intent on each other, and Angela wasn't around back with the others this morning.

I was still giggling over what had happened. Rosalie wanted to see Emmett and Edward freak out, hoping it would be funny. And it was hilarious and Jasper's face added to it. His stunned and speechless look was totally cute.

I was close to the English door when I heard someone yelling.

"Alice! Wait up!" Jasper called, running toward me.

I stopped with a smile. He reached me in seconds, not even panting.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked.

He smiled nervously, shifting slightly. "Um, . . . I was wondering if I could talk to you about something?" He said, his eyes shifting to my eyes to his feet.

I giggled. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Well, if it isn't the whipped bitch," A low chilling voice spoke.

Jasper tensed and his jaw tightened. His eyes shot up and immediately turned into a glare. I was afraid to turn, but I did and was sorry I did. James stood behind me, his grin smug, his posture casual, no tension in him at all.

"What the fuck do you want?" Jasper demanded.

James only smiled innocently. "Nothing that concerns you. I just wanted to talk to everybody's favorite pixie," He said, his cold, grey eyes looking directly at me. I had to suppress my shudder.

Jasper spoke through his teeth. "If it concerns my girlfriend then it concerns me!"

Only slight shock came into James's eyes, but his grin and posture never changed. "So you two are dating now? I missed a lot being gone. Good luck then I guess." James grin was sadistic and taunting, and when he walked past Jasper, I could barely hear him say, "I bet sex with her is great, huh?"

Jasper spun around ready to throw a punch. I was quick to grab his fist and hold it. James didn't turn around to look at us. He just kept sauntering away, his body quivering with laughter. Jasper growled and stayed where he was, his eyes were blazing with fury. But once James was out of sight, Jasper pulled his hand away and stormed off to the parking lot. I followed him to his motorcycle, and I finally stopped him when he started to get on.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

His face was still livid. "I'm outta here. He's in my first period class, and I don't think I could be anywhere near him right now," He explained.

I pulled his arm back. "Oh, no! I am not going to have you driving around, pissed off, on a deathtrap with wheels!" I told him, my eyes narrowed.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, Charlie tells you too many motorcycle stories. I'll be fine!" He said.

I wasn't going to back down. "Normally I wouldn't be mad, but with you being this angry I am not letting you drive around town!"

He was still seething. "Fine! I'll walk!" He got off the bike, and I grabbed his arm again.

"No."I stated simply.

He ground his teeth. "Alice, you choose. I walk or I ride my bike, but either way I'm leaving!"

I looked at his furious face and into his blazing eyes. And when someone looked at me like that, I usually fought back, and my own face was the same. But with Jasper giving me that look, I found my heart quickening its pace and thumping louder. My face flushed slightly, and there was a rush of heat that flowed to my stomach.

Jasper was really, _really_ hot when he was like this.

And with that knowledge sinking in, my fight was gone, and my usual wanting to be alone with him flared.

I gulped before speaking. "I'll drive you around. That way I at least know that you're safe," I compromised.

Jasper rolled his eyes again. "I don't wanna have you miss some of school just because of me," He replied.

I sighed. "Jasper, I'm passing all of my classes with flying colors. Missing a day won't slow me down. It hasn't before," I reasoned. And while I was talking I could see the defeat mixing with the still bright fury. Somewhere in the distance of the school, the bell rang again.

He shook his head. "Whatever! Let's go!" He commanded. At the hard tone of his voice the warmth in my stomach got hotter. We walked quickly to my car, and when we reached it he got into the backseat, not even looking at me. He was really mad. I sighed and got in the front, and pulled out onto the highway.

We were silent as I drove. I kept looking back at him. He had his forehead on the window, and his eyes were glaring out it. His fists were clenched tightly, as was his jaw. I wasn't sure where I should take him, so I decided to take him to his house. Both of his parents worked until about six, and of course Jasmin would be at school. I was there in a matter of minutes, and when I stopped the car by his driveway I looked back. He hadn't moved at the sight of his house. I got out of the car and climbed into the back seat with him. He still didn't move.

"Jasper, I'm sorry."

Jasper let out a bitter laugh. "Sorry? What are you sorry about?" He asked piercingly, kicking the back of the seat in front of him.

I gulped. "For not letting you go out alone," I told him.

His eyes stayed out the window. "I'm not mad at you at all, even for that. You were right, it was probably better that you did come," He admitted. But even as he spoke with reason the fury stayed in his face and posture.

"Then why didn't you sit in the front?" I asked.

He didn't answer me, he only turned his blazing gaze to lock eyes with me. I was mesmerized. His jaw was squared, and his lips tight. I couldn't stop myself.

I pulled his head down, our lips connecting harshly. I could feel his surprise, but he didn't pull away. Instead he pulled me onto him so that I was straddling him, his hands gripping my waist. One of mine had tangled itself into his hair, but the other one started working on the top few buttons of his shirt. His tongue skimmed over my lips, and I allowed him entrance eagerly. He showed no resistance. Until I started to pull down the shoulder of my shirt.

He pulled away reluctantly, and he grabbed my hand. We stared each other down, both of us breathing harshly, with heat flushing all through my body.

"What?" I asked breathlessly.

He gulped and rested his head on my shoulder, his warm breath fanning on my neck.

"I've already told you. We are not going to do this in the backseat of your car. At least not the first time," He stated, but there was something else in his voice. Lust and longing it sounded like.

"Jasper, it doesn't matter where it happens. It'll always be special for me," I told him, biting on his earlobe.

Jasper growled, and pulled back. "I can't control myself when you do that," He told me.

I giggled and leaned up to nibble at it again. He groaned and pulled me back.

"Alice," He panted, "we can't do this." He said.

I nuzzled his neck. "But I want to," I whispered, my lips moving along his skin.

"Not here," He stated, his tone firm but breathless.

My head was racing furiously, trying to think of a way to make him give in. He didn't want to do in the car that was all that was stopping him, and I could feel that he wasn't far from cracking. I turned my head to look out the window, and the sight that met me made me smile and made my heart speed up. It was a familiar muddy brown, two-story house with a nice porch.

I turned back to Jasper, my grin wide. "Well, there's always your house," I said, tilting my head toward the window. Jasper looked out the window and back at me. I could hear him groan quietly.

Then his lips were back on mine in a rough kiss. "You win," He murmured.

And with those two words we were gone.

Bella's POV

Fourth period ended and we were all sitting at our lunch table. All except Alice and Jasper. We heard that Alice had called in, saying that Jasper had gotten sick and she had taken him home and was planning on helping him get better. Emmett was the only one who seemed suspicious, but only because of our earlier talk. Everyone else thought nothing of it.

"I think they're up to something," Emmett repeated for the twentieth time.

"Let it go, Emmett. Jasper wasn't feeling good. It's no surprise that Alice would be with him," Rosalie said.

"That's not all I heard," Garret spoke up. Everyone looked at him.

Emmett's eyes narrowed. "What else have you heard?" He demanded.

Garret shifted slightly. "Well, a lot of kids are saying that Alice called in saying he was sick and all," He paused, "but I also heard from a few kids a different story. They said that they saw James talking with Alice and Jasper outside the English room. They said James was acting casual, but Jasper looked ticked. And when James left Jasper was livid. Apparently after that, Jasper stormed off to his bike, and then he and Alice got into an argument, and then they both got into Alice's car and took off." Garret ended the story looking at Emmett.

It was Benjamin that spoke. "Well, that still doesn't mean anything. Rose took Emmett home on Wednesday when he got all pissed, and that was ok. Alice is just doing the same," he defended.

Emmett slammed down his fist. "I'll kill him!" He growled.

Everyone was shocked.

Benjamin looked a little frightened and a little apologetic. "You two had sex on Wednesday, didn't you?" He asked.

"Of course we had sex!" Emmett boomed. Everyone rolled their eyes at his answer.

"Jasper's not like you, Emmett," I teased. But Emmett took that seriously and settled down.

"I guess you're right," He muttered.

"Of course she right," Edward said, slightly bragging. I blushed lightly.

Then came a voice that not everyone wanted to hear.

"Hey, Cullen. We gotta talk for a second," Jake said coming up to us, Seth following him with a smile. Both of them sat down in the two vacant seats at the table. Everyone tensed, and I knew that they weren't tensing because of Seth.

"About what?" Edward asked, and I was happy that he was doing his best to be polite. And I couldn't help but feel bad at the hurt on his face looking at Edward and I's intertwined hands. But he quickly averted his eyes and looked up at Edward.

"Are you planning on doing anything with the Volturi?" Jacob demanded.

"Why?" Edward asked.

"And how is that your business?" Emmett demanded.

Jacob glared at Emmett, so it was Seth that spoke. "If you aren't, we will. But Sam wants to stick with the agreement of not messing with each other, so we need to know," Seth explained rationally.

Edward looked at Ben, then back at Seth. "We have a fight with them in two weeks from today. As for now we don't have an exact battle plan."

"What's the problem?" Seth asked.

"They have a few more people than us. Some of us will be double teamed, and with how strong some of their members are, it won't be good for us," Ben told him.

Jacob and Seth looked at each other, and like they knew each other's thoughts, they both grinned at the same time.

"You worried that you'll be outnumbered?" Jacob asked, his face bright.

Ben was wary. "Yes."

Jacob's grin got bigger. "Well, what would you think if _they_ were outnumbered?" He asked. I caught on to what he was suggesting.

"Jake," I warned. Everyone looked at me. Apparently, they didn't know what he meant.

Jake was reassuring. "Don't worry, Bells."

"What are you talking about!?" Emmett demanded.

Jacob looked at him, for once not glaring. "How about we help. And I don't mean just me and Seth. I mean our whole gang."

Everyone was shocked, except me. I was getting worried and angry.

"I don't know it that would work," Edward told him.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Look, we won't like it either. But the Volturi is a problem. Not just for you guys."

Edward looked toward Ben. "What do you think?" He asked.

Ben shook his head. "Do we have another choice?"

Edward nodded. "If Sam agrees to this, we'll work with you. If he does tell him to meet Emmett, Jasper, and me at the field where our fight was at eight-thirty. Have him bring two others," Edward told him.

Jake grinned. "Gotcha. Expect me and Sam there, along with someone else," He said. Then he and Seth stood up and left the table.

Later at 8:30

Edward's POV

Emmett, Jasper, and I were waiting in the field, the headlights of Emmett's jeep on, lighting up the whole area. Emmett and I had interrogated Jasper and Alice after school when we found them at his house. They said that nothing had happened and that the fight and confrontation with James were true. And after we explained what happened at lunch, they both seemed as unsure as all of us. And on our way here we interrogated Jasper even more, but he stuck to his story.

"So what time is it?" Emmett whined loudly. I sighed.

"Two minutes left," Jasper said checking his watch.

"This is boring!" Emmett complained.

"Shut up, Emmett! You are getting really annoying!" I snapped.

And thankfully before Emmett could make some snide comment, the roar of an engine was coming toward us along with headlights. The car stopped ten feet way, and three figures got out.

Sam, Jacob, and Jared walked closer until we could see them better in the bright lights. Al three of us got up and faced the Quileutes.

"Thanks for coming," I spoke.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sam asked.

I sighed. "I'm not sure. But all of us are willing to be civil and work together if that's what it takes. As Jacob had said at lunch, the Volturi is becoming a nuisance to both of us," I told him.

Sam nodded. "I guess so. We'll be civil too, if that's what it takes."

"Thank you," I told him.

"How will we do this?" Sam asked.

"Who is your tactician?" Jasper asked.

"Collin," Jared answered.

"Well, then I think we should let Collin and Ben plan this out together," Jasper suggested.

"I think that would be best. Sam?" Jared looked toward his leader.

Sam shrugged. "Sounds like a good idea. Do you agree?" He said looking at me.

I grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

"Should we let the Volturi know that we'll be joining you?" Jacob asked.

It was Emmett who shook his head. "No, that would be dumb. They'd just get more people," He replied. And we all agreed with that, because that would be just like Caius.

"So we act like we usually do?" Sam asked.

I nodded. "No interaction with each other, unless it's important. Ben and Collin will have to figure out a way to not be seen while they plan this out," I said, running my hand through my hair.

"When and where is the fight again?" Sam asked.

"It's two weeks from today," Jasper answered, "and they haven't told us where they want to fight yet."

"Keep us updated," Sam said, his face serious.

I nodded. "We will, and if anything happens to any of you, tell us."

Sam nodded this time. "We will."

**So, the Quileutes and Twilight have joined forces for the time being. I noticed that a lot of time when something between the Quileutes** **and Twilight, I always have Jasper and Alice absent for it. But it had to be in the story somewhere soon. But there was no Volturi in this chapter, and I did throw in a little James. Like I said, he had to be in here again somewhere. I'm trying to update as quickly as I can.**

**Animeaddict**


	15. Bonfire

**So this is the bonfire that Jacob had invited Bella to. This chapter was made to let Bella be able to meet the girls, and to have her in La Push at least once. Also to show a little more of all the personalities that reside within the Quileute boys. Enjoy.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 14: Bonfire

Bella's POV

Charlie and I were eating dinner, talking every minute or so, but not getting into a long conversation. The phone rang, and I stood up to get it. I had been expecting it for a while now.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Bella, I'm getting ready to leave!" Jacob said on the other end.

"Oh. Ok, I just finished eating, so your timing's perfect," I complimented.

"I know, I know. Are you ready to go?" He asked.

I smiled. "Totally. We can leave once you get here," I told him.

"All right! Well, I'm gonna get off the phone. I'll see ya soon."

"Bye, Jake."

"Oh! Wait! I wanted to tell you something."

"What is it?"

I heard him sigh. "Well, look, when you meet Emily don't stare. It bugs Sam."

I tilted my head in confusion although he couldn't see me. "What do you mean?"

"You'll understand when you see her."

"Um, ok. Bye, Jake."

"Bye, Bella." He hung up.

I chuckled quietly as I grabbed my plate and Charlie's and started to clean them.

"Where are you and Jake going?" Charlie demanded.

My eyes went wide in surprise. I turned back to look at him. "Didn't I tell you? Jake's gang is having a bonfire, and he wants me to go," I explained. I turned back to the dishes.

"Aren't you dating Edward?" Charlie asked.

I looked back at him. "Yeah, I am. Why?"

"You know how Jake feels about you," Charlie said.

I sighed. He was right. "I know. And he knows how I feel, and he also knows about Edward and me. He's fine with it. And he knows that I'm going with him as a friend," I told him.

Charlie gave me a look before giving up. Then there was a knock on the door, and someone entered.

"Speak of the devil," Charlie muttered. I giggled.

But to both of our surprises it wasn't Jake that came in.

"Edward!" I exclaimed. I dried my hands off and rushed to him, hugging him tightly. He wrapped one arm around me, holding the other one above his head. He kissed my hair.

"Hi," He whispered.

"Hey, Edward. What are you doing here?" Charlie asked.

I let go of him, and he put his other hand back down. He was holding some kind of plastic container. "Mom made some of those brownies you like, so she wanted one of us kids to deliver it, so I volunteered," He explained, handing the container to Charlie. At the mention of Esme's brownies his face lit up.

"Really? Tell her I said thanks!" And with that he took the container and left to the living room. I knew that by the time I got home, that they would be gone.

Edward grinned, and he pulled a brownie wrapped in a plastic wrap out of his pocket, and handed it to me.

"I know him and how gets with those things, so I brought one for you," He told me.

I giggled and took it from him. "Thank you very much. I thought I'd have to fight him for one," I joked and he laughed with me.

"So, I thought you were going to Jacob's?" Edward said.

"He's supposedly on his way now." I was a little sad that he was now. Now all I wanted to do was stay with Edward.

Edward nodded, his grin crooked. Edward leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in a short, soft kiss. I giggled, and kissed him again. Then there was a loud knock, and the door opened.

"Hey, Charlie!" Jacob greeted from the door.

"Hi, Jake! Bella's in the kitchen." Charlie voice was muffled by him chewing. Thank God Edward brought me one.

Then Jacob walked into the kitchen, and stopped at the site of Edward. He looked at me. "Umm . . . hey, are you ready?" Jake asked, his eyebrows knotted in confusion.

I giggled and nodded. "Yep, I am," I looked at Edward. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Edward grinned. "Of course." Then he leaned down and kissed me once more before letting me go.

I turned back to Jacob. "Let's go!" I told him.

Jake's smile was big. "All right! Come on!" We both left with a goodbye to Charlie, and I told Edward bye again. We both got into Jake's car and we were off.

"So," Jacob spoke after a small silence. "What was Cullen doing there?"

I smiled. "His mom sent him over to bring a thing of brownies over to Charlie." I unconsciously wrapped my fingers around the one in my pocket.

"Oh, that was nice of him," Jake muttered.

I sighed. "Once you get to know him, he's a great guy, Jake," I insisted. I'd been told about their plan on teaming up Edward's gang, and I'd been hoping that it would soften the rift between them.

"Sure, sure," He replied, totally relaxed.

I shook my head and laughed it off. "So, what exactly are we all doing at this bonfire?"

Jake shrugged. "I dunno. Eat, mess around, tell stories, and a lot of other junk."

I grinned. "Sounds like fun."

Jacob laughed loudly. "You have no idea!"

At the Clearing

"Hey, Bella!" Seth greeted as Jake and I walked into the clearing. Jacob was right, it wasn't raining despite the gloomy night sky, and they had already got the bonfire up and burning.

I smiled. "Hi, Seth!"

The Quil jumped up, bringing a girl up with him. "Bella! I'd like you to meet Clair. The bestest girl there every was!" He teased with a smile.

Clair certainly was cute. She was slender and an average height. Her hair was to her shoulders and silk black. Her eyes were a light ebony that shone with giggling excitement. Her sweatshirt was a light pinkish hue, and her jeans were faded.

Clair held out her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Bella," She greeted, her voice soft and sweet.

I shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you too. Quil talks about you nonstop," I said with a smile.

Clair showed no embarrassment about that as I would have. Instead she giggled and kissed him lightly. "Why am I not surprised?" She teased.

Beside me, Jacob rolled his eyes. "Disgusting isn't it?" He asked me quietly, pulling me away to the rest of them. I could see the left side profile of the girl sitting next to Sam. My guess that this girl was Emily. Her hair was raven black, her eyes the same shade. She was beautiful. I couldn't understand what Jacob meant about not staring. Was it because she was too beautiful?

"Hey, Sam, Emily!" Jacob greeted.

Both of them turned to look at us, and I could finally see what he'd meant about staring.

The left side of her face, completely unscathed was perfect. But on the right side of her face, from her hairline down, were three long, bright, red scars. They were vivid in color although they were long healed. The scars pulled her mouth down into a permanent scowl. I looked up to look into her eyes, not wanting to be caught staring.

Emily smiled kindly. "You must be Bella! It's nice to meet you." She stood up and pulled me into a hug. I awkwardly hugged her back.

"Um, it's nice to meet you too," I mumbled.

She laughed at my blush. "I'm sorry. I'm kind of a very open person when it comes to the boy's friends," She admitted.

I smiled and giggled with her.

"Hey, TG, what's up?" Paul called from across the fire, a soda in his hand.

I walked over to him. "TG?" I asked.

Paul grinned. "It stands for Twilight Girl. I thought of it! Good one isn't it?" He boasted.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say."

"Hey, TG, want a soda?" Embry asked, holding three in his hands. He threw one to Jake, who caught it with ease. Great, the nickname was spreading.

"Sure. Thanks." Embry was merciful, and handed me mine.

"So, Bella, how's Edward?" Seth questioned from his spot by Leah.

I shrugged with a smile. "He's great."

Seth smiled. "That's good." He turned to Leah. "Say to Bella, sis!"

Leah turned to look at him, and then to me. She didn't give me her usual baleful glare, but she didn't smile. "Hi," was all she said.

Seth rolled his eyes, as did most of the boys around the fire.

"Hey, guys!" We all turned to see Jared and Kim coming our way.

"Hey, Jared!" Paul greeted, throwing him a soda.

"Hello, Bella," Kim greeted.

"Hi, Kim."

"Hey, Bella, can I ask you something?" I turned to look at Collin.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Does Ben do any after school activities?" He asked seriously.

"Um, no, I don't think so. Why?"

"We still have to figure out a way to meet. I'm trying to figure out more about him," Collin answered honestly.

"Don't worry," Brady said, laying on his back next to Quil and Clair. "You'll figure it all out, and then we'll kick some Volturi ass!" Brady laughed, and the other boys joined in.

"There's no way we could lose with both of our gangs together," Collin agreed, "A lot of their members will be double teamed."

"It's a piece of cake! I bet we could take them down without the Cullen gang!" Paul bragged.

Sam laughed. "I'm not so sure about that exactly. It'd take a really good plan."

Paul scoffed, and stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth.

Later

We were all laughing hard at the story Jared had just told us about how he and Kim got caught making out by her parents.

"Oh, wait! I got a better story!" Embry said, catching all of our attentions. "Ok, so, me, Quil, and Seth are walking to the beach. And we decided to walk along the road"

"Oh, come on!" Seth complained, "not this story!"

"Shut up, Seth, this is a good one!" Quil said, his frame already shaking with laughter.

"Anyway," Embry continued, "we're walking down the road and cars are passing at a normal pace. Well, we see old man Niles," He turned to me. "Niles is an old guy from the tribe that no one really likes. He hates us kids," Embry explained to me, "But we see his car parked on the side of the road, and he's still inside, talking on his phone. So Seth sneaks up to his window, and Niles doesn't notice him yet. Well Seth pulls his shirt up, like he's flashing him, and taps on the window. Niles turns around, sees Seth, and flips out! Well he starts to open his door and Seth jumps back. And when he did, his loose pants fall to his ankles." Everyone but Seth at this point was busting out laughing.

"It wasn't funny!" Seth defended.

"No! That's not even the best part!" Quil exclaimed laughing.

Embry nodded. "Yeah, so there's Seth by the road. Shirt messed up, pants around his ankles, and old man Niles gets out of his car. And old man Niles starts cussing him out, and taking steps toward him. So out of no where, Seth just takes off running, pants still down, all the way down the road! And I swear to God, I've never seen anyone run the fast with their pants down!" Embry finished, everyone in stitches.

"It wasn't funny!" Seth insisted.

"Why . . . did . . . you pull . . . your shirt . . . up . . . anyway?" Brady asked in between laughs.

"I wanted to scare him, see his reaction! I thought it would be funny! And it was until my pants fell!" Seth answered.

"Yeah," Quil agreed, "after your pants fell it was hilarious!" Everyone laughed again while Seth pouted.

Still slightly laughing, Jacob came to Seth's rescue. "Hey, Seth, have you ever been told about the time I dared Quil to do something completely humiliating?" He asked.

"NO!" Quil gasped. The girls and some of the boys looked confused while the rest tried to hold in laughs.

Seth grinned. "No, I haven't. Would you please care to tell me?"

"I would be delighted," Jacob looked at Quil and grinned once. "Ok, so a few years back, the gang at the time was Sam, Paul, Jared, Quil, Embry, and me. So we ended up having a day like this one. Just hanging out my place. But we decided to play truth or dare. So we play this game, having fun, laughing hard, and it's my turn to pick someone, and I choose Quil.

"Well before I could ask, he said dare, claiming that he was a man and wasn't afraid of anything, so I knew had to think of a good one. And it came to me."

"What? What was it?" Seth asked, like a child being told a fairytale. The ones that didn't know, including me, were totally into it.

"I dared him, your boyfriend, Clair, to run around the reservation, wearing a pink shirt and skirt from my sister's closet, yelling that he was the prettiest princess in the world!" Jacob and the other boys busted out laughing, and everyone but Quil soon joined in.

"Did he do it?" I asked through my laughter.

Jacob chocked back the rest of his laughs so he could finish. "So we waited outside for him, and sure enough, about six or seven minutes later Quil comes out in a very tight shirt and skirt, both different shades of pink. And with his face red, his eyes glaring, he takes off running yelling out what I'd told him to," Jacob stopped, laughing too hard as were the rest of us.

"He did it for more than ten minutes!" Jared laughed. Paul fell off of the cooler he had been using as a seat, and rolled around on the dirt, laughing so hard he might have been crying.

"Hey, at least I did it!" Quil defended. "I was man enough to take!"

We were all quiet when he said this. We each looked around the others around the fire. And we all busted out laughing again, letting Quil mumble out curses and incoherent sentences.

Later

We had been sitting around telling stories for a few hours now. Emily had just got done telling me about the time her and the other girls had pranked the boys while they'd been sleeping. And the image of them carefully tying pink ribbons into Jake's hair was hilarious. But it was getting really late.

"I think we should all get home. Looks like it might start raining," Sam commented, looking up at the sky. Everyone sighed. None of us wanted to go home.

Jacob sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Come on, Bells. I better take you home. Wouldn't want the sheriff coming after me," He teased. We all laughed at his joke.

"We'll take care of the stuff here. You to go," Jared said.

We said our goodbyes and left the clearing. It took us about five to seven minutes of stumbling around until we found Jake's car. We hopped in and Jake took off toward Forks.

"So did you have fun?" He asked eagerly.

I giggled. "I had a blast! I hope you bring me the next time you guys have another bonfire," I answered.

Jacob grinned. "You're welcome anytime, Bells. Come down to La Push anytime. We'd be glad to have ya!" He enthused.

"I will definitely take you up on that offer," I joked.

He smiled and it was like the sun shining. "I really hope you do."

We talked endlessly as Jake drove down the almost empty streets of Forks. And it felt like only seconds had passed when he stopped at Charlie's house. When the car stopped, we were still smiling at each other.

Jake let out a sigh. "I guess I'll see you soon?" He asked.

I laughed. "If not this weekend then at school of course," I teased.

He laughed. "Good point."

I opened the car door. "Bye, Jake."

"Bye, Bells."

I didn't hear his car pull away until I was inside the house. "Bella?" Charlie called.

I followed his voice to the living room. I almost burst into laughter at what I saw. Charlie was laying on the couch, and on the floor beside was the container that the brownies had been in. It was empty.

"Hi, Dad," I greeted with a smile.

"Have fun?" He asked.

My smile got wider. "It was great!"

Charlie grinned. "That's good. Edward left about a half hour after you and Jake did," He told me.

"Well, I'm gonna go to bed. I'll maybe see you in the morning. Good night."

"Night," He said as I walked to the stairs. As I walked to my room, I pulled the brownie out of my pocket. I took it out of its baggy, and started to eat it as I got ready for bed. It was mouth-watering. Nothing beat Esme's homemade brownies. After I was done eating and I'd gotten dressed, I laid down on my bed, the covers pulled over me. It hit me as I was about to fall into sleep that for the first time since I came here, I didn't know what I would be doing tomorrow. I smiled as I dreamed of all the possibilities.

**I'm sorry that it took so long! I've had so much to do lately with tests at school! Ugh! I hate school. But, anyway next chapter hopefully won't take as long. Hopefully. But I had some bad writer's block on this chapter. Nothing important was supposed to happen in this one, just character's personalities developing and being more prominent.**

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	16. Howls in the Night

**So, I wrote this one just to get a little more insight the Quileute gang's traditions, and more about Leah and Sam. And of course more about Jacob's confusion about his and Bella's relationship. Sorry it's not as long. Enjoy.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 15: Howls in the Night

Jacob POV

The night was dark and moist. It'd only been about twenty minutes since the rain had stopped, and it looked like it'd pick up again.

"How long's it been?" Paul whined loudly. The bottom of his body was on the hood of the van, while his upper torso and head hung off of it.

Embry sighed from his seat in the van, the doors all open. "It shouldn't be long now."

Jared sat on the hood next to Paul's feet. "So, Seth, are you excited? It is your first howl," Jared asked.

Seth spoke from where he laid across the backseat, "Totally! I can't wait! It's like initiation all over again!" He boasted.

Quil chuckled, trying to sound older and wiser. "Yeah, I remember my first howl. It was great."

I rolled my eyes. "It was only two years ago, Quil," I said with a laugh.

He laughed too. "Well not everyone got in before high school like you and Seth!"

Before I could say something back at him, bright headlights shined on us, blinding all of us. When the car stopped we could see Leah in the driver's seat and Sam in the passenger's. They had a small, awkward looking conversation before Sam got out. Leah sent one quick, worried glance at Seth before turning the van around and driving off.

"Hey, guys," Sam greeted, "Sorry I took so long."

"Forget about it. Let's just go!" Paul exclaimed. We all nodded in agreement and we piled into the van, Sam driving.

"Where are we going first?" Embry asked from the seat behind me.

"The Volturi residence," Sam answered with a grin. We all laughed in excitement at the suggestion. Sam raced through the dark, empty streets. The clock's bright green digital numbers read 2:30. As I thought it would, the rain picked up again, and Sam turned the windshield wipers on. The car windows were down, letting some rain and wind in. And soon we were in Forks, the houses dark and eerie.

Before long we pulled up to a nice house. Two expensive cars sat in the driveway, the paint new, grass neatly cut, and on their mailbox in homely letters was the name Volturi. All of us crept out of the van, no one talking or joking. It was serious now.

Sam quietly popped open the trunk, and we all grabbed some stuff from one of the dozens of boxes. Some grabbed spray paint, some grabbed toilet paper, and some grabbed tools. And we all went to work. Quil and I took seven rolls of toilet paper each and started to blindly decorate their rooftop and trees, the white seeable in the dark. We could hear Seth, Paul, and Embry spray painting, and Sam and Jared working on one of the cars.

When we finished, we all stepped back to admire our work. Toilet paper showered the roof and trees, raining down like waterfalls. The house was now splotches of hot pink, yellow, blue, green, and red, as was their lawn. Both cars had at least two tires deflated, and paint on the windshields. We all grinned and piled back up into the van.

Sam turned to look back at Seth. "All right, Seth, since you're our newest member, you get to lead us off."

Seth nodded seriously. He opened the sunroof and pulled himself up, half his body coming out. The rest of us all stuck our heads out the windows. Seth sucked in a deep breath, and let back out in a long, deep howl.

And for his first time the kid was good. He tilted his head back as he howled, his eyes closed, his nose pointing to the barely visible moon.

Then we all joined him, and Sam took off down the road as the lights of the house, and the three next to it, turned on.

After howling all the way down the block we all stopped and put our heads back in the car. All of us were laughing, and congratulating Seth on a job well done.

"Good job, Seth!" Sam praised, "You did better than most new guys do!"

Seth was exuberant. "Really? You think so?" He asked.

"Yeah! You did better than Quil and the others did!" I agreed.

"Thanks!" Seth's smile was blinding.

"Hey!" Quil complained, "He didn't do better than me!"

Sam and I shared a brief glance before saying, "Yeah. He did."

Later

After two hours we'd hit every Volturi members' houses. We were all tired, but it didn't drop our excitement level. The great thing about messing with other gangs is, that like us, they don't rat you out to the cops. We were having a blast, until Quil opened his big mouth.

"So, Jake, what's up with Bella?" He asked.

I did my best to seem relaxed. "What do you mean?"

Paul scoffed. "You know what he means. What's up with you and her?" Paul demanded.

My calm was slowly slipping. "She's dating Cullen, so that makes us friends," I answered simply.

"You ain't gonna fight for her?" Paul persisted.

I was getting closer to snapping every second. My fist clenched as I looked up at the rearview mirror. Seth was the only one back there that looked uncomfortable with this particular topic. The rest were curious. I adverted my eyes to Sam, but he too looked uncomfortable.

"Well?" Paul asked again.

"Lay off, Paul!" Seth cut in, "Jake doesn't want to discuss it."

"I wasn't talking to you, kid!" Paul sneered, "Now, Jake, are you gonna fight for her?"

"No!" I snapped, "No, Paul, I'm not! Are you happy now?"

"Why the hell not?" Paul demanded.

"Because she's happy!" That shut all of us up, including me. It wasn't my real answer to that question, but it just popped out. Yeah, he does make her happy, but maybe she would be much happier with me, or maybe not. Maybe I was just be egotistical. My head and heart were totally messed up on this situation. I'd called her this afternoon, wanting to at least talk to her for a minute or so. But Charlie said that she was with the pixie, and after that she and Cullen were going on a date. It hurt to know that she was having fun and it wasn't with me, but it made me happy that she was having fun period.

A hand rested on my shoulder. It was Seth's. "Don't worry 'bout it, Jake. It'll all work out," He said in a low voice.

I shook my head. "You don't know anything about this," I replied dryly. Only one person that I knew did.

Leah.

The Next Morning

After Sam had dropped me off last night, I went straight to sleep, but I went to sleep with a plan. A plan that I detested doing.

But once I woke up it was half past noon, the sun was hidden behind its usual blockade of clouds, and it was raining. Dad was gone, leaving a note saying that he was with Quil's grandfather. Good.

I picked up the phone and stared at it. I'd never been afraid of the phone before, but now the phone made me sweat. I was afraid that I'd lose my temper, afraid that she'd tell all the others, and afraid that she wouldn't be any help.

I sighed. I had to be a man. I needed help to sort all of this out, and she was the one to help. I dialed the number, knowing it by memory, and listened to it ring. I thanked the gods that it was her that answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" Her voice was snide, her tone cutting.

"Hi, Leah," I greeted as nicely as I could. It was easier on the phone where I couldn't see her.

"What do you want?" Leah demanded. Her tone alone made me grit my teeth.

"I want to talk to you," I said.

"I figured," She sneered.

I took in a deep breath to calm myself. "I want to talk to you about you and Sam."

I was met with the dial tone of the phone.

I put the phone back and let out an exasperated sigh. I grabbed my keys, locked up the house, and took off in my car toward the Clearwater house. I must be insane.

Leah used to be nice, until two years back. She and Sam had dated all through her middle school years and part of her freshmen year. They were crazy about each other. She joined our gang just to be with him more, but that same year her cousin Emily moved down here. I don't know when it started, but Sam and Emily instantly clicked and became friends. A week later, Sam broke Leah's heart to be with Emily.

Now Leah hated everyone it seemed, except her family. And except Sam. She still loves him, and she hates being in the gang now. She has to see both her ex and her cousin together every day. She has to see the proof of his and Emily's love for each other. And even I find all of their PDA kind of disgusting.

And we all felt bad of course, but she brought our dislike for her on herself. We all tried to be nice, but she was always scornful and snide.

Now I parked in front of her house, trying to make myself get out and knock on their door. As I argued inside my head, my body disobeyed and got out, and walked up to the door. Before I could comprehend it, my hand knocked politely on the door.

This time when she answered, I wasn't sure if it was good or bad luck, because once she saw me, she started to close the door.

I quickly stuck my foot in the way of the door, my hands trying to keep it open as she tried to slam it on me. "Wait, Leah! Please talk to me!" I pleaded. I sounded so wimpy, but I needed the help.

"Go away, Jacob!" She hissed.

"Come on, Leah, I need your help!" I protested. That seemed to stop her, because she stopped pushing on the door. I didn't move incase it was only a trick, but she didn't return to pushing. She only stared for a while, her face twisted into confusion, her eyes untrusting.

Then she finally asked, "What does me helping you have anything to do with Sam and me?"

I sighed. It was embarrassing to talk about. Especially to Leah! "It has to do with . . . Bella and me," I explained quietly.

Leah scoffed and opened the door wider. "What are you talking about?" She demanded.

I fidgeted nervously. "Is Seth here?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but he's still sleeping. A train could run over his legs and he wouldn't wake up!"

I nodded. That was good. "Can you and I have a talk?"

She looked at me questionably. "Are you ok?" She asked amused.

I rolled my eyes. "Please. I need to talk to you." I sounded like such a wuss.

She looked at me with a burning gaze. Then she sighed. "Ok, we'll go hide out in my room and _talk_. It must be serious," She concluded.

I pulled off my jacket, keeping it in my arms as I came in. "Why do you say that?" I asked as I followed her down the small hallway to her room.

"One because you wouldn't need _my_ help unless it was serious. And two because you obviously don't want the guys to know, which also leads me to thinking that it must be embarrassing."

I sighed, putting my jacket on her desk chair. "When you're right, you're right," I complimented. I sat down as she sat down across from me on her bed. We were silent for a moment. I looked around her room, stalling. It was the first time I'd been in here. The walls were a pale blue, and the carpet was a smoky grey. It was small, with one window. Her bed was up against the wall by the window, a stereo across from it on a stand. Her desk was by her door, next to her dresser.

"So are you gonna tell me what this is all about?" She asked, interrupting my examination.

I sighed. Leah always did have a way for cutting straight to the point. "You aren't gonna tell anyone?" I asked. It was a perfect blackmail moment after all.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Sure, whatever. Just spill it already!"

I blew out a breath and started. "It's kind of complicated. I _really_ like Bella, but she's dating Cullen. Now that really ticks me off, but I'm happy that she's happy. But I'm more angry than happy. Because I have to go to school, and see them together. They're always holding hands, or laughing, or talking, and it's disgusting! I don't know what's wrong with me, or what I should do!" I exclaimed.

Leah didn't say anything for a minute or so. She only stared at her lap, her face in thought. Then she looked at me and asked, "Did she ask him out?"

"No, he asked her."

Leah nodded. "Well, then it's your fault."

I stopped thinking. "What?"

Leah shrugged. "He beat you to it. If you wanted her, you should have asked her."

I ground my teeth and clenched my fists.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Oh, calm down!"

I shook my head. "You aren't really helping!" I growled.

She shrugged again. "This situation is different from what happened with me and Sam."

"How!"

"Well, first of all, he asked her. Emily didn't ask Sam. He asked her. So, she didn't betray you like Sam betrayed me. Also, Cullen isn't related to you." I looked down at the floor at her answers. "But, I can help you," She continued.

My head shot up to look at her. "Really? How?"

"It seems to me that either you love her, or just like her more than a friend. But for now, if she's happy, then let her be. Either she and Cullen fall in love, in which it's too late for you, or they'll eventually break up to where you can ask her out," Leah explained.

I stared at the wall past Leah's head, drinking all of her words in. Sadly, it made a lot of sense. She was right. Bella was happy, so I should be happy. After all she is my best friend. And maybe she would fall in love with Cullen. Then I would just support her. But what if she would be happier with me, even if she did love him too. It could be possible to love two people, couldn't it?

Leah didn't interrupt my thinking. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, staring at her lap again. And I knew what she was thinking of once I saw the pain on her face. And once again it hit me that Leah was right on that too. Bella and I were different from Sam and Leah. Bella had only hurt me. Sam had broken Leah's heart. I looked at Leah's face again. Sam had really messed her up.

**Done! This one isn't as long, but it works. The next chapter might be insanely huge, because I have to fit in the next few weeks events in it, and also the big fight will be in it! So it might take a while to write it all. Be patient with me. I'll be as quick as I can. Also, if you have a few ideas of what can happen within the few weeks tell me. I already have a few ideas, but I think I can fit some more in.**

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	17. Rebellion

**Author's Note - Sorry it took me so long! I've had some major computer problems! So sorry! Ok, so this chapter has a lot of stuff in it, all leading up to the fight. Pretty long. Now, I did skip over a week because if I hadn't I wouldn't have gotten it done, it would have been too long, and I wasn't sure on what to put in for those days.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 16: Rebellion

**Monday**

Bella's POV

It was Monday, and it had gone as every school day normally does. Edward picked me up for school, we hung out behind the school, and then went to class. Now I was on my way to Spanish. Edward was going to walk me as always, but Mr. Mason stopped him to talk to him about something, so I just went on ahead.

"Hey, Bella," I smooth voice spoke from behind me. I didn't recognize the voice, so I turned around to see who it was, and I instantly wished that I'd kept on walking. It was Felix.

"Hi," I said, not wanting to be rude. Then I turned around.

But Felix was quicker and he stepped in front of me. He was huge, almost as big as Emmett. His grin was smug. "Hey, wait."

"What?" I asked quietly. Not many kids were still around. They were all in their classrooms.

He chuckled. "What I can't say hi? Eddie won't let you?" He teased.

"Don't call him that," I muttered lowly.

"Why? I think the name Eddie fits him. Not a big man's name and we both know that he ain't a man!" Felix laughed at his own joke.

I ground my teeth together. "He's a bigger man than you!At least he has a girlfriend, and doesn't have to harass girls just to get their attention," I snapped back.

That immediately knocked Felix out of his laughing mood. His smug face quickly turned into a mean and vicious glare. "What did you say to me?" He demanded.

"Are you deaf too? No wonder you can't get a date." I had no idea where the cruelty was coming from, and I wasn't sure what to do now.

He growled. "Listen you little bitch—

"Hey!" an even fiercer voice called. I recognized it even if the tone was different. I turned around as Felix looked behind me. There were Edward, Jasper, and Benjamin, all three of them looking angry.

"What do you want?" Felix sneered.

"Leave her alone." Edward spoke calmly, making him sound all the more deadlier.

Felix rolled his eyes. "Why don't you make me?"

Jasper was the one that stepped forward. Sure he wasn't as big as Felix was in brawn, but I'd see Jasper fight briefly, and he was no novice at it. And even his appearance was frightening. His eyes seemed darker as he focused solely on Felix, his fist clenched, his arms tensed as if he were ready to throw a punch.

As I did Felix looked Jasper once over then scoffed. "Whatever, I'm outta here. The chick ain't worth it anyway." And with that, Felix turned on his heel and walked away. We all watched him until he turned a corner. It was odd. I didn't know him very well, but I do know that Felix never backed down. The boys seemed suspicious too, but neither said anything about it.

"Hey, he didn't hurt you did he?" Edward asked as he came by my side.

"No I'm fine," I assured them.

"Positive?" Jasper asked.

I nodded.

"Ok, well we'd better get to class. Bye, Bella, Edward," Benjamin said. Then he and Jasper walked off in the other direction.

"Come on, Bella." Edward took my hand as he led me to Spanish.

"But you'll be late for class!" I protested.

Edward shrugged. "It's ok. I don't mind."

"How did you know?" I asked.

Edward knew what I meant without having to clarify it. "Jasper saw him stop you, and he came to get me, and we caught Benjamin on the way," Edward explained.

"Jasper looked like he was really going to hit him if he hadn't backed off," I mentioned.

Edward nodded. "And he would have too. Jasper's really into the whole honoring a lady. He's even more a gentleman then I am." Edward chuckled. "That's one of the main reasons that I know I can trust him with Alice."

I smiled. "What if he wasn't the perfect gentleman, would you still trust him?" I questioned with a smile.

Edward laughed. "Yeah, probably. He's a good guy even without that one quality. He's trustworthy."

"It's good that you trust him."

"Yeah, but I think he'd rather it be Emmett that trusts and me that doesn't instead of the other way around."

"Why?"

Edward smiled was breathtaking. "Because Emmett's a lot bigger than I am. Not to mention a lot stronger," He joked.

**Tuesday**

Emmett's POV

School had passed with ease as always. Now I was with my Rose as she tried on various outfits that resided within her closet. I sat on her bed, watching her tv as she asked questions, and I answered with the appropriate answers.

"Emmett, can you answer me seriously on this next question?" Rosalie asked.

I nodded. "Sure thing, Rosie," I said not moving my eyes from the tv.

"Ok, so do these jeans make my ass look big, cause I think they do," She rambled slightly.

I rolled my eyes, but looked at her. She had her back turned to me, hands on her hips. Involuntarily, my eyes went down to her ass like they always do, but this time I had permission. Life is sweet.

"You look fine, babe," I told her as I went back to the tv.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yep" I mumbled.

She turned her head to look at me. "You're not even looking!"

I sighed. "I looked, and you look fine." I quietly blew out a breath as I rolled my eyes again.

Rosalie turned fully around and glared at me. "I saw and heard that!"

"Heard and saw what?"

"You rolled your eyes and sighed, you think I look fat in these!"

"No, I don't!"

But she ignored my protest. "You are such an ass, Emmett!"

I stood from the bed. "I do not think you're fat, Rose," I said trying to me smooth about it, "I was being completely honest, I always am with you."

Sadly, my attempt to calm her didn't work. She glared at me and, with the heel of the shoe she'd tried on, she stomped on my foot.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" I exclaimed.

"For calling my fat!"

"I did not!"

"You might as well have!"

I sighed, trying to calm myself before it got worse. "Look, Rosalie, I promise that I wasn't lying. And even if your ass was big, not saying that it is, I'd still admire it when you turn around, and I'd still love you with all my heart." I held the tops of her arms as I spoke, hoping she wouldn't get madder.

Rosalie looked down at the floor for a minute, then she looked back up at me. "You really weren't lying when you said my ass wasn't big?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No, I looked, answered, then turned back to the tv."

She sighed. "I guess I jumped to conclusions."

I grinned. "It's ok, but if you want me to I could take another few minutes to look at it, and then give you the same answer?" I suggested.

Rosalie smiled and laughed. The sound was heavenly to me.

**Wednesday**

Edward's POV

It was Thursday and school had already ended. Only Alice, Mom, and I were home. Dad was still working, and Emmett was out with Rosalie doing God knows what. Alice was somewhere upstairs, Mom was in the den, and I was fixing my song on the piano. It was such a complicated piece, but that's what made it so lovely, and so true to what it was about. Bella. My Bella.

"Edward! Come here, please!" Mom called from the den. I stopped playing and stood up. I walked quickly into the den, wanting to hurry back to my song.

"What is it, Mom?" I asked politely. She was sitting at her desk, working on her latest project.

She smiled. "Can you tell your sister to come here when she gets a minute please?"

I smiled. "Sure, no problem." I rushed out of the den, and ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. I ran to her door and knocked. No answer. I knocked again only louder. Still, no answer.

"Alice?" I called as I knocked again. I opened the door and went into her room. She wasn't in here, but her tv was still on along with her lights. Where was she? I walked over to her oversized walk-in-closet. Maybe she was sorting all of her clothes again. I opened the door. She wasn't in there either. What in the hell? I walked over to her bathroom door. There was noise coming from the inside. There was running water, but not like a shower, more like a faucet. I shrugged, and opened the door.

"Hey, Alice, Mom — woah! Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Edward!" Alice exclaimed. I was quick to look away. My face felt like it was by a furnace. It was a faucet running, but Alice was only in a towel that wasn't around her very tightly.

"I am so sorry, Alice!" I apologized, still looking away.

Alice laughed slightly. "It's ok, Edward, but there is such a thing called knocking!" She joked as she tightened her hold on the towel.

I laughed with her the best I could. "Yeah, well, Mom wants you to come into the den when you can," I relaid the message, staring at the doorknob.

I could hear her smile in her voice. "Thanks, Edward."

I nodded, and left the bathroom, closing the door. I swiftly left her room. My face was still beat red and hot! That was so embarrassing! I just . . . eww! I rushed back downstairs to my piano and tied to occupy my mind by playing familiar melodies and working on my song again. It was pointless. Because no matter how much I focused, a small image would pop into my head and make me shudder.

Then the front door opened, and slammed shut. Laughter filled the hall, and soon the room as Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper came in.

"Hey, Eddie, look who we picked up!" Emmett boasted, patting Jasper on the back.

I didn't lift my head from the sheet of music in my hand. "Yeah, that's great, Emmett," I mumbled.

No one said anything for a minute. Then Emmett exclaimed, "Woah! What's wrong?" He asked, sitting next to me on the piano bench.

I looked away from him. "Nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

Jasper and Rosalie stepped in my line of view. I was trapped.

"I just called you Eddie and you didn't correct me! What's up?" Emmett asked again.

I sighed. "Look, guys, I just saw something that was slightly horrifying for me, and I don't wanna talk about it." There was no way I could tell Emmett, especially with Jasper in the room. But then matters got worse.

Alice bounded into the room from the den. "Jasper!" She exclaimed. Jasper smiled and held out his hand. Alice walked, almost danced it seemed, to him and took his hand. There was no other touch or sound between them. Just that small show of affection held so much more than any of us could understand.

But Emmett, the idiot that he is, broke the silence with the worst question he could. "Hey, Alice, do you know what's wrong with Eddie here?" He asked.

I gulped, and face got hot again.

Alice rolled her eyes. "I might have a vague idea." Translation: Yep, I know all about it.

"What is it?" Rosalie asked.

I gave Alice a sharp look that she ignored. "Well, he came into my bathroom, and I had just gotten out of the shower. I had a towel around me, but it might've been a little loose," Alice explained. My face felt like it was next to a furnace. I looked back to my sheet music, not wanting to see the faces of the others.

But Emmett didn't tease or laugh at me. I had to look up at him. His face was confused as he looked at me.

"What?" I demanded.

Emmett finally scoffed. "That's it? That's what you're so embarrassed about?" He asked.

I looked at him incredulously. "Uh, yeah! Wouldn't you be embarrassed?" I asked.

Emmett and Alice shared a brief look before they busted out laughing. Rosalie and Jasper looked just as confused as I did as we looked at them.

Finally, they both settled down. Emmett sighed. "Oh, Eddie, poor little Eddie," He said in a mock sympathetic voice as he patted my shoulder.

I slapped his hand away. "What the hell are you laughing about?"

Emmett gave me an exasperated look. "Edward, do you know how many times I've walked in on Alice while she's changing, or in nothing but a towel after she gets out of the shower without knocking?" Emmett asked.

We all stared at him, then at Alice. She nodded. "Yep, he is serious."

Emmett scoffed. "Dude, she's our sister, so what? And besides, I don't knock on any door."

I rolled my eyes. I should have expected it. And when I looked at Rosalie and Jasper, their expressions were very similar to mine. I shook my head. "You know, Emmett, one day that habit about not knocking is going to bite you in the ass," I told him.

Now Emmett rolled his eyes. "How?"

I grinned. "Well one day Alice and Jasper are going to start sleeping together, and if you don't knock, chances are you'll walk in on them," I paused, another thought coming to mind, "or if not them then Mom and Dad."

I looked at Emmett, and busted out laughing as did the others. Emmett's face was of pure disgust. He looked as if he was going to be physically sick.

"Ewwww! Freakin' gross!" He yelled.

"What are you kids talking about?" Mom asked as she joined us in the room.

We all looked at each other, each of us smiling. "Nothing!" We all exclaimed, and started to laugh.

**Thursday**

Edward's POV

It was almost eight o'clock, and our gang and the Quileutes were outside in the field that we'd met in when we agreed to work together. The wind gently whipped a cold breeze as we stood around.

"Edward," Sam tilted his head in greeting.

"Sam," I said back, equally polite.

"Do you know where they want to fight?" Jared asked from Sam's left.

Jasper pulled a note out of his pocket. "Corin handed me this in the hallway on my way to lunch. It says to meet them in one of the Volturi warehouses in Port Angeles at six tomorrow," He explained.

"Which warehouse?" Sam asked.

"The one without a fence. It's apparently a dull grey. The note says that Aro, Caius, and Marcus's parents found it unfit to use any more so its no longer a storeroom," Jasper told him.

"Will Paul be able to fight?" I asked.

Paul laughed. "There's no way this arm is gonna get in the way. Barely hurts," He bragged.

"What about you? Your finger gonna last?" Jacob asked.

I nodded. It barely hurt when I moved it. Dad said it wasn't a horrible break.

"Ok. Collin says that he and Ben got the plan figured out," Sam stated.

Collin walked in front of all of us and so did Ben.

Collin spoke first. "First we decided on who will fight who. We tried to split it up based on features and who'd be best to fight against who. So this is what we came up with.

"Edward will be facing Aro by himself. Emmett and Paul will take on Felix. With the both of you fighting there's no way you could lose. Jasper and Garret will take on Marcus. We didn't know his fighting ability, but you two are really good at fighting. Benjamin will be fighting Alec alone.

"Mike and Tyler, you'll take Corin. He maybe small, but he's quite strong. Ben and Sam will be taking on Caius. With Sam's strength and Ben's intelligence it should be very even. Eric and Quil will take on Santiago. Jacob and Embry, you two will take on Demitri. His fighting skills are through the roof, but you two should be able to handle him easily.

"Jared, we want you to fight Afton. Leah, you take Heidi. Out of all the girls in the Volturi, she's the strongest. Seth, you take Jane. After all, the girl has some person vendetta against you or something. Brady, you take Chelsea. Just be careful, she knows just about everything about everyone, so take caution. And I'll take on Renata. She's built on defense skill, but I'm all about offense. Any questions?" Collin finished.

Emmett jokingly raised his hand. "Um, yeah I do. What's our battle plan?"

"That's what I'll explain," Ben said.

"Take it away, captain," Emmett joked.

**Friday**

Edward's POV

Today was the day. After school we all went to our house. The Quileutes came with their girlfriends, and then we guys left. We were already in Port Angeles, and Emmett was driving his Jeep down toward the warehouses. It was Emmett, Jasper, Garret, and me in the Jeep. The others were behind us. None of us spoke as Emmett pulled up to the chosen warehouse. WE all got out, and followed by the others we all went in. The entire Volturi gang was already there, and by the look on their faces when we all approached, they were shocked.

"Well, well, well I must say I'm surprised," Aro said stepping forward, "I didn't expect the Quileutes to join in the fight with you."

"It's not really your fight!" Caius hissed.

"If it means defending kids from you then it _is_ our fight," Seth spoke smoothly.

"Well then are you ready to fight?" Jane asked, her cute little smile pulled up into a sadistic grin.

"I don't know. Are you ready to fight, Benjamin?" I asked easily. All of the Volturi members looked puzzled at my question. Why would the leader ask that? I slightly turned my head to look at Benjamin. He was looking at me too. I nodded only slightly, and Benjamin obeyed the signal.

He leaped at Alec, taking him down to the concrete easily, and sent a knee to his shin. Alec had been taken off guard, but now he struggled against Benjamin's grip. Jane was quick to move and help her brother, but Seth intercepted her and pulled her down by her hair. She elicited a shrill scream of pain. Felix moved to remove Seth, but Emmett pulled him back by his arm. But Felix was quick to move and nailed Emmett in the chin with a hard punch. Paul kicked the back of Felix's knee, sending him to one knee, then he pushed him to the ground with his foot as Emmett got back up. He didn't even move his arm as he did so. Everyone started to break out into fights around us, but Aro and I only stared each other down.

"You know, Edward, I really don't want to fight with you," Aro said easily.

"I don't really want to fight with you either, but you chose to fight," I retorted.

"I'll end it," Aro said with a gentle smile.

"What?" I asked, already distrustful of his words.

"I'll end the fight, but I only want one of two things," Aro answered.

I should have known. I humored him. "What do you want?"

"I want you to join us."

"No way." I could have laughed at his requirement if we weren't getting ready to fight. "What's your other idea?"

"I want your sister Alice to join us, along with leaving Jasper," Aro answered with a hopeful smile.

I gritted my teeth. "Not a chance!" I growled. My sister was not going to join his gang, and I trusted Aro with my sister as much as I liked the nickname Eddie.

Aro's smile disappeared. "I'm sorry to hear that." And before I could see it, I felt his fist connect with my cheek.

I kicked him and got him in the stomach. "Why would you want Alice in your gang anyway?" I demanded.

Aro coughed and kicked my foot out from under me. "She's got a lot of energy. Something tells me that she would make a wonderful fighter."

I grabbed at his collar and punched him on the back to his shoulder. It sent a pain down through my hand as my thumb connected with his shoulder bone. It hurt more than it ever had.

This could be a rough fight.

Jacob's POV

Ok so fighting Demitri wasn't as easy as I'd thought it would be. Even though both I and Embry were fighting him, he put up a good fight. Collin was right. His fighting abilities were unbelievable. His face was of total determination as he hooked Embry in the cheek. I growled and kicked at his back, but he spun around and caught my foot. He twisted it around and flung it up, sending me toppling to the floor with ease. My head smacked onto the concrete painfully. I got as quick as I could to see Embry's foot connect with the side of Demitri's jaw. As he stumbled back a few steps, I grabbed his hair and brought him down to my knee which I jammed up into his lower back.

Demitri sucked in a hiss of air and grabbed my arm. He pulled me down to, but not before Embry stepped on his rib cage. He landed on my legs as we hit the ground. He rolled of off me and knocked Embry off of his feet with an easy kick. I heard Embry groan as his head it the floor. Demitri ignored him and pulled me up of the ground and threw me into the nearest wall. He took my hair and slammed my head back before I could move. I shook off his hand and slammed my forehead into his. He backed up, clutching at his forehead as did I. That had hurt like a bitch!

I looked back up to see Embry knock Demitri to the side with a punch to the cheek. I started to move toward them when something else slammed into my back, knocking me to the floor again. I flipped off my back to see that it had been Seth that had knocked into me. Jane advanced on him with a deadly look. Hell she scared me with that look. Seth got back up and moved to tackle her. She beat him to it, and the both rolled out of sight, fighting for dominance of the situation.

I turned back to see Demitri overpowering Embry. He sent punch after punch as Embry struggled to get in a hit. It rushed over and shoved him with my shoulder. Embry didn't look too good. His nose and lip were bleeding.

"You ok?" I asked quickly. Embry only nodded, and ducked as Demitri sent a kick at him from behind me. This was gonna get ugly.

Emmett's POV

As Felix moved to intercede with Seth and Jane, I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. I didn't expect his fist as he turned quickly and slammed it into my chin, blowing me back. Thankfully Paul kicked the back of his knee, than kicked him to the ground. That started our fight, all of us throwing kicks and punches.

This was a piece of cake. Felix was no match for both me and Paul. Not that Paul and I wouldn't have a few bruises or cuts from him, but he was going down. But I have to admit, I'd much rather do it by myself. But Paul was good. Even with his broken arm. He didn't even move it, and Felix couldn't get to it quick enough before one of us smacked him down.

Now Felix stood up from the floor, his usually tan face bruised with blood slipping from his mouth every time he took a breath. He spit before throwing a punch at me. I caught his fist and sent one at him. I got him in the cheek and I let got of his fist. He stumbled and Paul kicked the back of his head. Felix fell and coughed up a little blood, but he got right back up and kicked at Paul's knees, and connected. As Paul fell, Felix kicked off of his shoulder, and jumped up at me, knocking me to the ground, and repeatedly punched at me. I rolled to the side and flung him off of me. His hits made my chest hurt, but nothing a man like me couldn't handle.

Paul had stood up and when Felix got up too, he swung and hit him in the shoulder blade. But when he did, the worst had finally happened. As he fell, Felix grabbed and caught Paul's bad arm. Paul screamed and fell on top of Felix. Felix kicked him off and stepped on his arm. I pulled my fist back and swung, but Felix caught mine this time. He twisted my wrist and hit me in the gut. I growled as my wrist stung. I stomped on Felix's foot and elbowed him in the chest cavity. He let out a hollow and blood-filled cough and twisted my wrist once more before letting go. Paul had gotten up and he angrily stomped on Felix's back several times.

Felix rolled over and stood up, crazed determination on his face. That was when it finally hit Paul and me. He wasn't going to give up unless he was knocked out, or we broke everyone of his bones. This could be difficult.

Jasper's POV

Garret and I surrounded Marcus, but Marcus showed no fear at the sight of both of us. Garret moved first, throwing out his fist. After that I wasn't sure what had happened. Marcus had been between us. But then he was besides Garret, and he grabbed his arm, pulled it forward, and kneed him in the stomach twice before dropping him to the floor, groaning in pain. Marcus looked toward me, and casually walked toward me. I tensed, waiting for the right moment to strike. Once he was only a foot in front of me, he stood there, waiting for me to hit him. I waited too, not wanting to fall for any trick he had planned.

We stared each other down, his eyes were bored, his posture relaxed. I must have looked the complete opposite. Over his shoulder I could see Garret getting back up. Garret rubbed his stomach once before sauntering over to where we stood. I could see Marcus's shoulders move an inch. I could see that he wanted to move and hit Garret, but that would give me the opportunity, and I was stronger than Garret. He knew that. Marcus must have panicked because he sent a swift punch at me. I smacked his fist away, and smashed my fist into his cheek, and Garret kicked his back. Marcus crumbled to the ground.

Now I'm a gentleman. I like to fight fair. It was just how I was brought up. I was going to wait until he stood back up. But Garret was different, and flipped Marcus over harshly with the toe of his shoe. I guess that's why we were partnered. I'd hit him while he was up, and Garret would take care of him as he was on the ground. Marcus would've had no chance if he wasn't so fast. Because then he jumped up and grabbed Garret by the shoulder, shoving him to his knees, most likely bruising them, and smashed his fist into Garret's nose.

As Garret clutched his now bleeding nose, I swiftly knocked Marcus to the floor again with my heel. Garret stood up, his nose barely bleeding anymore. I grabbed Marcus by the shoulders, and hooked my arms under Marcus's. I held him in place as Marcus struggled. Garret moved and roughly punched Marcus in his own nose. An eye for an eye, nose for a nose, I guess. He repeatedly punched him as I held him, Marcus's struggles lessening. I felt like a cheater, reducing his chances of fighting, but it had to be done. Marcus was quick, too quick.

This felt wrong to do.

Edward's POV

Aro and I had been trapped in a continuous cycle of punches and kicks for what felt like an entire day when I noticed Caius, Sam, and Ben approaching. At first I was apprehensive, but there was no violence in their walk, just complete hostility in Caius's face, along with defeat.

"Aro! Call it off!" Caius demanded.

Both Aro and I froze at Caius's demand. He of all people wanted to call off the fight! The fight had probably been his idea in the first place!

"What are you saying, brother?" Aro asked, astonished.

Caius grounded his teeth together. "Call it off. Now!"

Aro stood up straight. "Do I get an explanation?"

"Later!" Caius growled.

Aro sighed. "Everyone stop!" Aro called loudly. Immediately, everyone in the Volturi stopped. "Everyone get over here!" The entire gang walked over to where we stood. The members of Twilight and the Quileute came over too. I looked at Sam and Ben. They were besides themselves with pride and amusement.

"This brawl is over. It will be explained later," Aro said with a sharp look at Caius. Everyone in the Volturi groaned in disappointment.

"Why?" Jane demanded.

Aro ignored her and looked directly at me. "It seems you win. You gave a good fight, Edward."

"As did you," I complimented.

Aro smiled. "My offer still stands if you wish to accept."

I shook my head. "I'm happy with my own gang thank you," I said politely.

Aro nodded. "I can tell. Well, I guess we'll see you at school then."

"I guess so." We said a quick goodbye and then we all left the Volturi in the warehouse. We all went to the cars where we stopped.

"What the hell just happened?" Paul asked.

I looked at Sam. "What happened?"

Sam grinned. "Caius has a weakness," He explained shortly.

"What?" Emmett asked.

"Caius has a very soft spot for Heidi. He seemed worried about her losing to Leah, so when I threatened to help Leah, he caved. We told him to call off the fight," Sam told us all.

"Why to call off the fight?" Garret asked.

"That was my idea," Ben replied, "I still wasn't sure if we could ever get him to give up by beating the hell out of him. I thought it would just be easier this way."

"Well you made a good choice. I can't imagine any of the Volturi willingly giving up a fight," I told him. I looked around at all of us. We were bruised, bloody, and tired looking. Our girls would not be happy to see us like this.

"What do we do now?" Brady asked.

I looked at Sam. "Well, is this truce going to continue?" I asked.

Sam grinned. "I think it can."

I grinned too. "Then I suggest we go back to my house. Celebrate for a bit, then we go home and meet at school," I suggested.

"Sounds good," Sam replied.

Then as we started to leave, I saw Felix from the doorway, glaring toward me. Not in my direction, but at me personally. I remained aloof, and turned away, and got into the Jeep. I wasn't sure what his problem was, but I could tell he would mess with us for a while.

**Ok, so next I will finally introduce Rosalie's brothers. We'll get to see the softer side of Emmett also. And I'm getting to the biggest part in the story! Next chapter shouldn't take so long hopefully.**

**Animeaddict**


	18. Typical American Man

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 17: Typical American Man

Rosalie's POV

I drove home from Emmett's house at around six p.m.. He was a little bruised from the fight last night, but he says he doing fine. It does worry me. But that small amount of worry escalated when I saw the flashing blue and red cop lights outside my house. I parked my car and dashed into the front door. Charlie and his deputy, Mark, were standing around talking to my dad who looked worried. He looked so different from how he usually looked. His dark brown hair was ruffled, and his dark blue eyes were filled with worry. He looked nothing like William Hale the II, the owner of a giant chain of banks.

My mother, Miranda Hale, was crying hysterically next to him, sometimes saying words that tried to form a sentence but failed in the end. Her long blonde hair looked dull and it straggled across her face. Her own blue eyes were filled to the brim with tears. She was shaking uncontrollably.

My younger brother William, the older of the two, was completely calm and collected, no worry anywhere on him. His short brown hair was nice and trim, his bangs just above his eyebrows. His dark and cold blue eyes watched the scene before him play out with unamused and uncaring eyes. He was such a prick.

Upon my entering, everyone looked at me. "What's going on?" I demanded. My mother just burst into hysterics again. Charlie took a few steps toward me and sighed.

Then Charlie murmured, "Rosalie, it's about your brother Kevin. Something's happened."

Emmett's POV

It wasn't even a half hour after Rose left that the phone rang Mom answered it as Edward kept playing the piano, Alice read her magazine, and I flipped through the channels on the tv.

"Hello? Oh, hello, Miranda. What's the matter?" Mom asked. All of us perked up at her question. Why is Mrs. Hale calling us? What was wrong? "Yes, no we'll be right there. No, it's no problem we'll all be right over. Bye, sweetheart." Mom hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked for all of us.

Mom sighed. "Get your shoes and jackets on, all of you. We're going to the Hales' house now," She said.

We all did as she said and I questioned her once we were in the car. "Mom, what's wrong? Is Rose ok?" I was really getting aggravated at not knowing.

Mom shrugged. "Rose is fine, but I don't know what's wrong. Her mother was hysterical on the phone. Charlie's there right now with Mark, and Bella and Jasper are already on their way," Mom explained.

We got to the Hale's house in record time, but Bella and Jazz still beat us there. Once we were inside, I was really worried. Everyone had on sullen expressions, and Rose looked close to tears, and her mom was crying hard. I hurried to Rose and took her in my arms.

"Rose, what's wrong? What happened?" I asked. Rosalie didn't answer, she only buried herself into my chest.

"Emmett," Charlie addressed me formally, "did you see Kevin at all today?"

What? "No, I haven't. Why?" I asked.

"Because he's missing. He ran away. All he left was this note that says 'goodbye'. All of the police are out looking for him now, but we could use the help," Charlie said.

I nodded. "I'll go out and look for him."

"I'll come with," Rosalie started to follow me.

"No, Rose, you stay here, ok? I'll go and find him and bring his ass home." I grinned at her, but she didn't return it. I kissed her cheek, and as I passed, Edward handed me the keys to his Volvo.

"Wreak it and you die," I heard him mutter. I laughed loudly as I left the giant house. I hopped into the car and pulled away, speeding down the roads.

I knew Kevin pretty well, so I had a few ideas of where he might be. He wouldn't go to La Push, so no need to check there. No way was he around the school or the park. There was only one place. Kevin had been working at their uncle's car garage for the past year now. He loved it. Like Rose, he loved cars. And there was no way he would leave before grabbing his project. He'd been so protective about it. I guess he was almost done.

I pushed the Volvo up to eighty, and reached the garage in less than seven minutes. Not that it was very far away. Forks ain't that big.

The garage was close since it was passed six on a Saturday. All the lights were off, but one small one coming from the backroom. I walked up to the glass door and pushed. It was unlocked. I pushed it slowly and gently. The bells quietly rang, and there was no way he could have heard it back there. I tiptoed to the backroom and looked inside the crack off the open door. Just like I'd thought, he was in there. Admiring something in his hand. I sighed and pushed the door open.

Kevin jumped and whirled around. His eyes went wide with panic. "What are you doing here?" He exclaimed.

"Chill down," I said.

"You can't stop me, Emmett! I'm not going home!" Kevin yelled. As he tried to push past me, I grabbed his shoulders and held him front of me. His dark hair was longer than his brother's. It fell freely into his face, almost covering his blue eyes. His face was a little scratched up with Band-Aids everywhere, along with his arms and legs. The result from working with his hands all the time. He wore his tattered and ripped work shirt and jeans with holes everywhere.

I chuckled. "Chill, Kev. I ain't gonna force you to go home," I told him.

Kevin stopped struggling. "You aren't?"

"Nope." I shook my head, and let go of him.

"The why are you here?" I could see the suspicion in his eyes.

"I was sent out to find you, and I found you, but I am gonna bring you home like I promised, I just ain't gonna force you," I answered.

Kevin shook his head. "No way man. I am not going back!" He shot me the same determined look his sister had a lot.

I sighed. "Ok, look. I'll make you a deal. If you tell me why you're running away, and if it's a good reason, then I'll let you go," I reasoned.

"Serious?"

"Dead serious."

Kevin sighed before continuing. "Ok. I'm leaving because my family would be much happier without me."

"Explain."

"My brother hates me. He could careless what happened to me. I'm an idiot to him. And Dad, he's disappointed with me. He wishes I was different, and is always pushing me to do things that I don't like. Mom doesn't except that I'm not like William or a girl like Rosalie. I just disappoint them. It's not like they would truly miss me anyway. They'd get over it."

I didn't doubt some of that. Rose's dad and other brother were complete assholes and pricks. And her mom may be hysterical now, but she'd probably let it drop after a day or two and then be ashamed that she'd acted like that.

"Rose would miss you. You're her little brother. Her favorite one. She was almost in tears when I got to your house this evening after they call me," I told him gently.

Kevin looked surprised. "She was almost crying?"

I nodded. "And I'd miss you. And so would the rest of the guys. We planned to initiate you into the gang next year."

Kevin couldn't help but smile. "You mean it? But I thought Rose said no!"

I grinned. "Yeah, but she won't be around next year to stop it. You might already be a member by the time we come and visit!" I replied, and it was totally true.

Kevin's smile disappeared. "But I'm not sure if I could go home and face my family after this," He muttered.

"Hey," He looked up at me. "Screw them. Who cares what they all think? What's important is that you got some good buddies, and that you got a great sister like Rose. Now let's get you home," I persuaded.

Kevin chuckled. "I don't know how you do it, Emmett. Somehow you make everything sound all right."

I laughed. "It's what I'm here for. You ready?"

He sighed. "Yeah, just a minute. Let me put this away."

I stopped him. "Hey, can I see that?" I asked pointing at that object in his hands.

"Yeah, here." He unfolded the cloth around it and handed it to me. It was a miniature, wooden model of Rosalie's car, without the paint. It was great. Everything about it correct. The interior, the wheel, tires, the hood, the windshield, trunk. He had started to paint the interior of the car, and the colors were perfect.

"This is awesome! Did you carve it?" I asked, turning it to look at it from all angles.

"Yeah, it's gonna be a gift for her. I thought she'd like it." Kevin kicked at the flood modestly.

I grinned. "What kind of gift?"

He shrugged. "Depends when I get it done. If it's near her birthday, then a birthday gift. Near Christmas, Christmas gift, and so and so forth."

I handed it back to him. "Well she's gonna love it!" I praised.

Kevin laughed. "Thanks," He said as he put it back on the shelf, the cloth over it. "I've been working at it for a long time now it feels like."

We left the garage and got in the car. I immediately call Rose and told him we were on our way. I stopped when we pulled up to the house.

"Are you ready?" I asked, looking at him.

Kevin sighed heavily. "As ready as I'll probably ever be."

I smiled. "And that's the way to look at it."

Rosalie's POV

Emmett called and told me that he found Kevin. I almost cried form relief. I relayed the message to everyone else. Charlie and Mark called the rest of the cop to tell them, and everyone else relaxed and Mom finally stopped crying hysterically and started to cry happily. And soon enough, the door opened and Emmett walked in with Kevin. Mom rushed to him and pulled him into a tight hug, as did Dad. Then everyone was asking him if he was ok and questioning him. He was answering and apologizing every two seconds. I just stayed where I was and Emmett came to my side.

"Where did you find him?" I asked.

Emmett grinned. "He was at the garage, picking something up."

I hugged Emmett tightly. "Thank you so much, Emmett."

Emmett hugged back and kissed the top of my head. "Anytime, babe. I'll be here."

"I love you."

"I love you more." I looked up at him and he was grinning. I nudged his shoulder and giggled, burying my head into his shoulder. We just stood there as the others all kept asking Kevin questions or started to leave. I turned my head and caught Kevin's eye. He looked very apologetic when he looked at me. I wanted to talk to him now, but it wasn't the time. Later.

Midnight

I got up from my bed and left the room. I crept down the hallway to Kevin's door. I opened it quietly. The light was on, and Kevin was on his bed, listening to his radio as he flipped through a car magazine. His head bobbed along with the music.

"Come on in, Rosalie," He said, not looking up.

I closed the door and sat next to him on his bed. Once the song finished, he turned it off and closed his magazine. He sat up and looked at me.

"What?" He asked.

"I want to know what happened today. Every little detail from when you got up to right now. Every action, every thought, and every feeling," I told him.

And he explained. He told me about how he'd been having this idea for a while, but couldn't bring himself to do it. About how he was tired of William looking down on him, and Dad constantly vocalizing his disappointment in him. He talked about how he'd planned to run off to L.A., but had no plan after that. He told me about what Emmett had said to him in the garage. About how I would miss him. He told me about the plan to join Twilight once I graduated and went to college, and he started high school. I laughed but didn't disagree. It wouldn't be my choice then.

"I wish you had talked about this with me sooner," I said after he stopped talking.

Kevin shrugged. "I didn't wanna unload all of this on you."

"I'm your sister," I told him, "you're supposed to tell me this stuff so I can help you. Dumbass!"

Kevin shoved me lightly. "That's no very nice! And after I spill my heart out to you!" and we both laughed.

"Whatever. I'm gonna go to bed. Good night." I ruffled his already messy hair.

He shoved away my hand. "Night, sis!" He called before I shut the door.

I sighed and walked to my room. He had so much going against him. I've seen how Mom and Dad are with him. And William is even worse. He's a horrible brother, cares for nothing but himself. It was pitiful. I would thank Emmett again tomorrow. He saved more than one person tonight because I'm not sure what I'd have done if Kevin never showed up anymore. I never wanted to lose my baby brother.

**Ok, so this one isn't as long, sorry. But at least I got it done, and right now that's what matters. So next chapter will be more about Alice's adoption issues, and it will clear up the whole story behind it.**

**Animeaddict**


	19. Adoption

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 18: Adoption

Alice's POV

The school week passed tremendously quick, after Rosalie's brother tried to run away. When I wasn't at school, I was either shopping with Bella or Rose, messing with my brothers, or being with Jasper.

Ah, Jasper. There is no man more perfect in the world them him. His smooth skin, lean frame, silky blonde hair, and that southern accent got me every time. He was incredible, and so romantic. And after we had sex, we got even better. We weren't like Emmett and Rosalie, God no! But we were always doing something of the like when we were alone. Sex with Jasper was better than shopping for me. Best part is knowing that not only was he my first, but I was his first too.

And thankfully, it was Friday, and we were going out to Seattle tonight. I wasn't entirely sure of our complete plan for the night, but I knew one thing that would be happening for sure. I just had to wait for Mom to get home. So Emmett, Edward, Jasper, and I waited on the couch. Emmett had the remote and was making us watch some sitcom with him. It was then that the phone rang. Nonchalantly, I picked it up.

"Hello?" I asked.

It was an unfamiliar voice that answered. A woman, quiet and timid sounding. "Hello, is Mr. or Mrs. Cullen around?" She asked.

"Um, no, they aren't. Can I take a message?" I asked.

"Oh! No, just tell them that Nikki Brandon called for them, and to have them call this number." The woman gave me a number and I wrote it down along with her name, and thus ended our phone conversation.

"Who was that?" Edward asked once I'd hug up the phone.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Some woman named Nikki Brandon calling from Mom and Dad," I told them.

Thankfully before Emmett made us watch SpongeBob, Mom walked into the house.

"Hey, kids." She greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Mom." Emmett, Edward, and I greeted, while Jasper responded with a, "Hi, Mrs. Cullen."

"Hey, Mom, Jasper and I are gonna head out to Seattle now. Is that ok?" I asked.

She smiled. "That's fine. You know what time to be home."

I nodded. Jasper and I got ready to go, and we were almost out the door when I remembered. "Oh, hey, Mom!"

She came back into the living room. "Yes, dear?"

"Some woman called earlier. She wanted you to call her back. Numbers on the desk over there," I told her.

"Who was it?" She asked.

"She said her name was Nikki Brandon."

Mom's face twisted into a look of shock and fear. "Nikki Brandon? How did she spell Nikki?"

I looked over at my brothers. They looked just as confused. "Um, N-I-K-K-I," I spelled out. "Why? Who is it?"

Mom shook away the shock, but there was still an odd fear in her eyes. "No one. I'll call her back later. You two have fun now. Love you." She was trying to get us out of here.

All I thought about as Jasper and I left was: Who is Nikki Brandon, and why was Mom afraid when I said her name?

Saturday

Mom and Dad were acting weird. Edward said that when Mom told him about the woman calling he made the same face she'd made. And then this morning, they both kicked us all out of the house, saying that we needed to spend some time outside like we were children. But nevertheless, we left the house. We picked up Bella and Jasper and we all went over to Rose's house. We hung out with her and Kevin, before we decided to back to our house so we could all hang out in the basement. The boys playing PS3, us girls talking, and Rose and me giving Bella another make over.

But when we all got up to the front door, we stopped in our tracks. Shouting was heard on the other side. Three men. One was Dad, and another was Charlie. We couldn't understand what they were yelling about, but Dad was definitely not happy. Edward opened the door and announced ourselves.

"I don't care! She's not . . ." Dad trailed off when he saw us. He and Charlie were standing in front of a couple whose backs were to us. The other man was standing to. Mom had tears in her eyes, but they hadn't spilled over.

All four adults turned to look at us. The man was tall, maybe mid-thirties. His hair was black and stuck out in every direction. His eyes were a deep forest green. Looking at us, I could see shock and joy on his face. The woman mirrored his look. I couldn't tell her size exactly, but she looked about an average height. Her long hair was honey toned, and it accented her eccentric, tearful, dark blue eyes.

"Alice?" the woman spoke timidly as she too stood up.

I looked over at Edward and Emmett, and quickly caught Edward's eyes. He shook his head. So he didn't know them either. "Um, yeah, it's me," I told them, as confused as the woman was timid. After I spoke, them man smiled wider, and the tears in the woman's eyes started to slowly spill over.

We all looked over at Dad when he let out a large and tired sigh. Both he and Mom had a kind of defeated look. "Dan, Nikki, these are our children and their significant others," He pointed to us as he said our names. "Rosalie, Bella, and Jasper. And these _our_ children, Emmett, Edward, and Alice." It was weird how he stressed the word our, like he was proving a point.

We said hi in a confused manner, none of us sure what to say or do.

"Kids, this is Dan and Nikki Brandon. These are Alice's parents," Dad explained.

Everything froze, then started to lightly spin. It was like being in a dream that was too good and you couldn't escape. I couldn't wrap my head around his words.

Emmett spoke, "That's crazy, I wouldn't call them Alice's—"

I hit Emmett's shoulder. I didn't want him to voice what I was thinking. Not now. I felt a strong hand grasp my own. I looked over to see Jasper. He looked worried, and kept eyes on me. I smiled and squeezed his hand, silently telling him I was fine.

"So, where are you from?" Edward asked.

"Oh, we came from a small town, Biloxi Mississippi," Nikki answered.

"I'm guessing that there's something you wanted to talk about?" I asked, pulling Jasper over to the couch to sit. The others followed my example, and Dad and Charlie sat down as well.

Dan cleared his throat and sat back down. "Well, yes. It's going to be kind of a big shock, but it's probably best to just tell you," He said nervously.

"What is it?" I asked.

"How would you like to come back and live with us back home?" Dan asked.

Suddenly, everything started moving again, and it tilted and crashed to the floor, cracking. My chest tightened and it suddenly got a little hard to breathe right. The grip on my hand was a little tighter, showing me Jasper's fear and shock.

"What?" I demanded.

"We want you to come home and live with us. We wanna be with our baby girl again," Nikki explained.

"It's your choice," Dan cut in, "but we thought that you might wanna come live with your mom and dad."

"I do live with my mom and dad," I stated clearly.

Dan smiled wryly. "I mean your real mom and dad."

"So did I," I said loudly. I could feel my voice started to rise, and the anger seeping through. "Just because you come here saying that you're my biological parents does not mean that you are my mom and dad! If you were my mom and dad, you wouldn't have abandoned me! Moms and Dads don't do that!" I was yelling by the end of my rant. I wasn't even really talking to them, mostly myself.

Nikki was looking at the floor. "Alice, it was different when we had you."

"That does not matter, and that's an old excuse! The fact is that you gave me up, what right do you have to want me back? And why did you think I would want to come back? Why would you want me to just up and leave everything I've got here, and everyone I grew up with? What kind of mother and father spring that decision on their kids?" I spun around, dropping Jasper's hand and dashed up the stairs, my eyes blurring halfway up. I could hear a set of footsteps behind me, keeping pace with me. I opened my door and the person behind me followed me in and closed it. I screamed out in frustration, kicking my vanity, knocking vials and bottles to the floor, some breaking and spilling their contents on the floor, staining the carpet. I dropped onto my bed and sat there, and an arm went around my shoulder, pulling me to them in a warm embrace. Oh, Jasper.

"I'd ask you if you're ok, but that seems like a stupid question right now," he joked.

A giggled erupted from my lips and I smiled, tears still coming. "It's not dumb. And I think I'm ok, if not I will be," I told him.

"What are you gonna say?" Jasper asked, and his posture tensed slightly.

I shook my head and pulled back so I could look at him. "Now that's a dumb question. I'm gonna tell them no, no way am I gonna just up and leave, but . . ."

"But what?" He asked, stroking my hair.

"I just can't believe that they asked me that. That they wanted me to leave everything. That they would call themselves my real mom and dad. It just baffles me," I told him.

"Anything I could do?" Jasper asked, wiping away the new tears that came.

I sighed. "Just stay up here with me?" I said.

Jasper smiled. "No problem. Just let me do one thing ok." Then he got up and went to the door. "I'll be back in about a minute or two." Then he closed the door behind him.

Jasper's POV

I was pissed! At first I was nothing but concerned when she ran off, and when I saw her tears, I wasn't sure why she was crying. I didn't know if she was just angry or upset. But hearing that _they_ caused her to cry really made my anger flare. Real parents or not, no parent makes their child cry!

I made my way downstairs quietly and calmly, and they all looked up at me expectantly.

"She says she'll be fine. She just wants me to stay up there with her. I just need to say something," I told Carlisle and Esme directly. Then I looked over at Dan and Nikki Brandon. "Now, I hate to be rude, but if I am then too bad. Now, I'll be straight with you. I don't like you. And the only reason I haven't hit you," I looked pointedly at Dan, "is because this is not my home. But next time you make her cry like that, I won't hesitate to pop you in the mouth! And I just want to let you know, that Alice says she's not coming with you, she's staying with her family, but I'm sure she'll want to tell you that herself. And so you know, you are not her parents, because I don't know of any parent who would make their child cry," I finished with a glare.

"It's _her_ choice!" Dan growled, obviously ticked about my tone and threat.

I nodded. "And that's what _she_ wanted. I didn't make her choose. Had she accepted your offer, I would have supported her, although I can't imagine her leaving her mother, father, and brothers behind." With those words I spun on my heel and started back up the stairs.

"Hey, Jasper!" Emmett called.

I turned my head. "What is it?"

Emmett grinned wildly. "I gotta say I'm proud of ya!" Emmett laughed.

I shook my head and went back up the stairs. I went into Alice's room, and she was still on her bed, only she had moved to laying down. I got on the bed with her and held her. She hid her face in my neck, her warm breath, smooth and even, fanned across my neck.

"What did you go and do?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing. I just told them your answer."

Alice sighed. "I need to tell them face to face," She said, and I felt a small wetness on my neck.

I held her tighter. "I told them that too."

We laid there for what felt like continuous hours of blissful serenity. Every few minutes she shifted, trying to get closer than it was possible. I held her tightly, rubbing circles into the small of her back and running my fingers through her hair. Alice was content with nuzzling my neck and kneading my tense shoulders. It didn't take long for me to relax them, but she didn't stop. After awhile, she fell asleep, and I was quick and eager to follow her into a peaceful slumber.

Bella's POV

"Dad?" Emmett spoke, "I want someone to explain the whole adoption thing to us."

It was Dan that spoke. "We were seventeen, going on eighteen when we had Alice. Now, we both came from families that were just barely getting by, and there was no way we could afford to raise and take care of a child. We worried over it for months before she was born, and weeks afterwards, but we finally decided that it would be best to give her up.

"So my sister told us that she knew a guy she'd gone to college with before she transferred, and that he loved kids and already had two. We weren't sure if he and his wife would take another, but my sister seemed sure that they would. So we put her up for adoption, and your parents adopted her that month," Dan concluded with a sad smile.

"So why did you come for her now?" Edward asked, "Did you really think she would just up and leave everything?"

Nikki shook her head. "No, we truthfully didn't. We just . . . wanted to give her the option, to let her know that it was there."

"No to mention that financially we're more stable," Dan threw in.

"Also," Nikki hesitated, "A few years after we gave Alice up, we had another baby."

"What?" Rosalie demanded. "You couldn't afford the first, so you have another one? Was there something wrong with the first or something?"

"No! No, it wasn't anything like that! It's just that . . . it killed us to let go of Alice," Dan assured, "and we didn't think we'd be able to do it again, so we gave it a try and we've done pretty well so far raising her."

"Is she in Washington?" I asked.

Dan nodded, "Yes, she's still at the hotel. We weren't sure if it would be right for Alice to meet her right away."

"Smart move," Emmett muttered.

Alice's POV

It was dark outside my window when I woke up and woke Jasper up too. We both walked down the stairs to see that Dan and Nikki were still here, but they were politely talking with Charlie, Mom, and Dad. And there was a new addition to them. There was a girl, maybe fourteen or so. Her hair was a dark shade of blonde, and her eyes were a shining green. She looked to be about my height, and her frame was thin and small.

"Mom, Dad," I called out.

They all looked up, and the girl's eyes were anxious and excited. Once Jasper and I were off the stairs the girl stood up and walked over to us. She stood in front of me and looked me over once more before smiling.

"Alice?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah? How'd you know it was me?" I asked. Did Dan and Nikki describe me to her?

"Well, you look and awful lot like Dad, so I just figure," She said timidly.

I stopped. "Wait," I backtracked, "Dad?"

Now she looked surprised. "Oh! Mom and Dad didn't mention me did they?"

I shook my head.

"Oh, well I'm Cynthia, I'm their other daughter."

Jasper spoke, "So that makes you . . ."

"I'm your younger sister. I'm fourteen," Cynthia explained.

I was funny how your thoughts could freeze, crash, go back to normal, than freeze and crash again.

"What?" I muttered. I had a sister? Me? Sure I had brothers, but for some reason this really struck home.

"Surprise," Cynthia said weakly, afraid by my reaction, "Mom and Dad had me wait back where we're staying, but they thought that I should come and meet you once, since we're leaving late tomorrow night," She explained.

"Oh, well. Makes sense," I said pathetically. "Um, have you been to Seattle before?" I asked.

Cynthia shook her head. "No, we're staying in Port Angeles. Actually, this is my first time to Washington."

"Well . . . I could show you around tomorrow before you leave, if you want?" I suggested hesitantly.

Cynthia smiled widely. "I'd like that a lot."

"Alice," I looked over to Nikki, "we know this is a big shock, but we just thought that you'd like to have the option of coming back to Biloxi," She explained.

I nodded. "Yeah, and I'm sorry that I overreacted. It was a lot to take in."

Nikki's smile turned sad. "You're not coming back with us are you?"

I smiled too, but it was apologetic. "No, I'm not."

**Done! Go Jasper! So, I finally got that out of the way. And we will see Cynthia again, no fears. I'll dive into her personality and background later. The next chapter will really get things going, and start to get pretty serious. Very important.**

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	20. Betrayal

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight.**

**Author's Note- ok, so this chapter's not as long as I'd hoped, but that's ok right now. Now just a warning, I'm not sure how long it'll take me to write the next chapter. Might take me awhile. Enjoy.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 19: Betrayal

Edward's POV

The rest of the weekend passed without incident. None of us saw Alice until past eight o'clock when she finally came home. At eleven yesterday she took Cynthia out to hang around Seattle, and she said that they'd had a blast. She said that Cynthia was a great kid and that she couldn't wait to see her again. I think it's good that they get along so well, but Alice didn't mention Dan and Nikki. My guess is that she avoided seeing them all day yesterday.

I turned down the heat as I stopped outside of Bella's house, waiting for her to come out. In no time, she was out of the house, and at a safe pace, was hurrying to the car. She got in and smiled.

"Hey," She greeted.

I couldn't help but grin. "Hello."

I pulled away from her house and started toward school. "So how was Alice yesterday?" Bella asked.

I shrugged. "She said she had a lot of fun. She wants to see her sister again soon," I told her.

"That's good. Maybe if she visits a lot, I wouldn't be the one she drags to shopping malls," She muttered. I chuckled at her grimace.

Soon I pulled up into the school parking lot, and we hurried over behind the school to see almost all of us there.

"Hey, where's Mike at?" I asked scanning the group.

"I don't know. He called and said he couldn't give me a ride today," Tyler replied, "sounded a little detached."

"I hope he's ok," Bella said, a look of worry on her face.

"He's strong. I'm sure he'll be fine," Eric told her.

The bell rang, and we all filed out from our hangout. I took Bella's hand as we walked to first period English. Once we were inside, we took off our jackets, but up in the front of the class, Mike was sitting in a different desk than usual. At the sound of the door, he looked over at us. His glance was quick, but I caught his eyes. They were full of confusion, resentment, aloofness, and ice.

At this glance, neither I, Bella, Alice, Tyler, and Eric went to talk to him. We just took our normal spots and Angel ended up sitting where Mike usually did. Mr. Mason started to drone on about Shakespeare and other great writes, and compared their writing styles. Halfway through the class when I was almost asleep, Angela passed me a folded piece of paper. When I took it from her and looked at it up close it said in hurried handwriting was _Mike_. I opened it quickly and read the note.

_Cullen,_

_You and the guys come and meet us out behind the school during lunch_.

_Don't involve the girls and don't bring them, it'll only cause more trouble._

I read the note twice and felt like sweating. What was he talking about? Who was "we"? I put the note in my pocket and looked up toward Mike. All I saw was the back of his blond head. He looked totally relaxed as he payed attention to Mr. Mason, but that was the suspicious thing about how he was acting besides the glance and the note. Mike never payed attention in English. He hated this class, claimed it was boring. What was with him today?

Lunch

During the course of the day I'd told all of the guys about the note, and we'd all avoided Mike, and Mike happily avoided us too. And when lunch rolled around, all of us guys headed toward the back. And once we got there we all stopped in our tracks, too stunned to move any closer.

"What in the hell is this!?" demanded Emmett.

In front of us was Mike, but with the wrong assortment of people.

"Hello, boys," James said casually in the chilling voice. James grinned lazily, his hair pulled back as usual, his dark eyes roaming each of our faces. His eyes turned slightly angry once they reached Jasper. His normal green jacket was buttoned up on account of the cold, and his usually ripped jeans were replaced with a more sturdy looking pair.

Standing next to him was Victoria. Victoria was known as James continuous fuck buddy. Rumor had it she'd wanted a lot more from him, but it never happened. Her long hair was wild and a vivid red color, like flames. Her piercing eyes were green, and a silent animosity resided within them. She wore a zipped up black jacket and grey jeans.

On James other side was Laurent. He was James's best friend. He, James, and Victoria were usually always together, unless James was out terrorizing someone. He was tall, with a nice enough build. His skin was toned and tanned. His dark black hair was cropped, and his caramel eyes were cold and untrusting . . . with a little uncertainty. His chest was bare under the orange jacket he wore, and his blue jeans were loose. He had to be freezing.

And standing in the back, slightly away from the group were the two Romanian twins, Stefan and Vladimir. Stefan was the taller of the two. His frame was lithe and lean like a cat's. He looked dangerous, but sickly with his deathly pale skin. His pitch black hair reached his shoulders. His green eyes roamed our faces too, but it was defensive, as if he didn't trust us not to suddenly attack him. Vladimir was shorter, but just as pale, thin, and lethal looking. Unlike his brother, his hair was an ashy blonde, almost grey it seemed. His green eyes watched Emmett especially, probably do to his size. Emmett made Vladimir seem like a child size-wise. Both brothers wore pitch black clothes. Both had jeans, Stefan had on a turtleneck, Vladimir a loose T-shirt. Both had long black jackets over them.

The guy that stood behind Laurent was one that really worried us. His dark brown eyes glared balefully at Benjamin. His black hair was buzzed to stay out of his eyes. It was Amund, Benjamin's older brother. We'd all known about the hostility between the two brothers. Benjamin didn't understand it, but Amund loathed him. How a guy could hate his brother I don't know. But they were definitely brothers, you could see it. They had the same hair, eyes, skin tone, but Amund was older, and much bigger. His hunter green shirt was sleeveless and showed of the thick muscles of his arms. His loose jeans were green camouflage. He seemed oblivious to the freezing temperatures around him.

And then next to Victoria was a tiny kid, a freshman name Riley. I knew this kid scarcely. He was obsessed with Victoria, never left her side if he could help it. He was so innocent looking. His blonde hair flopped down into his grey eyes. Under his smoke-colored jacket he wore a brown shirt with a bright red ribbon on it that was torn in the middle. His jeans were a faded black. And around his neck was a chain that held a beaded V on it.

We all stared each other down for a minute before Emmett spoke again. "What the hell is this all about?"

"Well," James started pleasantly, "we just thought that we should introduce you to Forks's newest gang personally."

"What gang?" Jasper demanded.

James grinned. "Why us, The Hunters," He answered.

"And what the hell are you doing with them, Mike?" Ben asked.

"I'm joining them," Mike answered tersely.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked.

"It means I am no longer a member of Twilight. James said if I joined him that I'd get a chance to fight with you," Mike explained, looking pointedly at me.

"Why?" Eric asked.

"The same reason I wanna fight Whitlock here. To acquire a certain possession they hold," James answered.

"Alice is no object!" Jasper growled, and I swear I heard Emmett snarl.

I gritted my teeth. "Besides the Alice thing, what the hell are you talking about?"

James chuckled as if I was a kid who hadn't understood his lesson. "I'm talking about Bella Swan. That's what Mike here wants. Not that I don't condone him for his choice. She is a hot piece of ass, but she doesn't compare to Alice."

I wanted desperately to punch that sick grin off of his face, James's face and Mike's.

"They aren't collectable toys, James!" Benjamin protested, adverting his eyes from his brother's.

James scoffed.

"The point is," Laurent spoke up, his voice calm and soothing, "that we want a fight."

"When?" Jasper asked, still snarling. I had a bad feeling he was way past gone in fury.

James seemed to notice too and his grin got even bigger. "Two weeks after Christmas Break. Unless you're all a bunch of wimps."

It was me that growled this time. "Sounds great. How about at the baseball field?"

James nodded. "That seems the most appropriate place to do it. Make sure you bring your pack of dogs too. You'll need them. This isn't the only group that will be present to fight you. See you then." Then with a nod of his head, they all sauntered past us, not even looking at any of us.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Tyler freaked.

"I get dibs on, Amund," Benjamin said, as if he wasn't talking about getting into a giant fight with his older and much bigger brother.

"And I call James," Jasper said, his voice deadly calm.

"Wait a minute," Ben interrupted, "that's fine, you guys can have them, but what did they mean about them not being the only ones to fight us?"

"The Volturi," Eric stated fearfully.

"What?" Emmett asked.

"Who else is there?" Eric spoke, "They're the only other gang besides the Quileutes. They have to be it."

"That's probably it. But if it is, then it will be a very equal fight, even with the Quileutes," Ben calculated.

I leaned back against the brick walling of the school. This whole thing was getting complicated. What are we going to do?

**Ok, so don't hate Mike for this! I would've used someone else, but who else is there that I could've used. Mike was really the only option I had. And if you haven't noticed, I'm trying to use a lot of the vampires that were in the whole series. Also, there was something about my description of Riley that should remind you of something familiar. One hint: think of what book he showed up in.**

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	21. Father and Son

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight.**

**Author's Note- So it didn't take me as long as I'd thought it would. I thought it'd be longer though, but it isn't. My bad, sorry. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 20: Father and Son

Jasper's POV

The days and few weeks between Mike's betrayal and Christmas Break had passed with pressed tension and stiff shoulders. I was anticipating this fight. Fighting James would be the greatest thing for me to do. I was furious when he talked about Alice being a possession, and that anger, though fading, has been present throughout the days. And it's started to show up in my fights with my dad.

I sighed as I hopped off my bike. The beginning of Christmas Break. The next few days it'd be just me and Alice. We'd planned it a few days ago. We were going to Seattle tomorrow and probably Port Angeles. She had the rest of the days planned and wouldn't tell me. She loved surprising me and I really enjoyed it.

I ran up to the porch, wanting to get out of the cold. I closed the door, letting the warm air of the house smother me. Jasmine was sitting on the couch, her long pale hair down around her shoulders, her dark blue eyes bored as she flipped through a magazine.

"Hey, kid," I said, ruffling her hair as I passed her. She swatted at my hand.

"Hey, Jazz. What's up?" Jasmin asked absently.

"Nothing much. I'm heading over to Emmett's later," I told her as I slid my bag to the ground.

Jasmin laughed. "Oh, why don't you just say you're going to Alice's house? I know you mainly go over there to see Alice."

I scoffed. "Not always. Emmett and Edward are my best friends, I go over there to hang out with them regularly," I defended. Jasmin only rolled her eyes.

"Boy!" Our dad called, "come in here!"

I groaned as I stood up. Jasmin gave me a look of sympathy as I left to the kitchen. Inside the kitchen my mom, Maria Whitlock, was at the stove, probably getting dinner ready early. Her long, silky black hair flowed down her back. She looked over at my father with her baby-blue eyes. She was small and tan, she's where Jasmin got most of her looks from.

My father, Raymond Whitlock, was sitting at the table, waiting for me with a scowl. His dirty-blonde hair was short, hardly reaching his eyebrows. His blue eyes were the same shade as mine. As much as I hated to admit it, I looked a lot like him.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"What's up with that room of yours, boy?" My father demanded.

I raised a brow. "What are you talking about? It's clean. I cleaned it two days ago." Really what is he getting at?

"I know. I saw it earlier. Who cleaned it?" He demanded.

I sighed. It always came down to this. "Alice and I cleaned it," I told him.

My dad shook his head. "It ain't healthy for a boy your age to be like that."

"What the hell does that even mean?" I yelled back.

My dad stood up, the chair he'd been sitting in falling to the ground with the force of his push. "It means that it's time you manned up a little! My son ain't gonna be some whipped little boy that his little girlfriend can just push around!"

"Hey, Alice does not push me around!" I defended.

"Oh, great! You do it on will! Most likely because your tiny, little girlfriend could do a lot better, and you don't want her to think that!" He exclaimed.

Then everything was a blur. Like a movie going frame by frame. I could feel the anger rush through my veins alongside the fear. I felt the air rush by my fist as I swung, and I felt it connect and bruise my knuckles as it connected with my dad's nose. I could hear the tabled crash as he fell against it, knocking it to the floor. I could hear Jasmin rush into the room and Mom asking my dad if he was ok. My eyes were transfixed on Dad's nose. It was red and slightly crooked, blood gushed out of it in a stream.

I fled from the room, running to my bedroom. I locked the door once I slammed it shut. What did I just do? I just punched my father! What kind of son am I? What kind of man am I? How could I do that? Flashes of the worried looks on Mom and Jasmin's face went through my head. I gulped. Can I look at them day after day knowing what I did? And he was right. I hit my dad because he was right! What in the hell is wrong with me? I can stay here. I have to get out of here.

Like a flash I left my room and went to the kitchen. Jasmin was sitting at the table, across from where Mom was dabbing at Dad's bloody nose with a tissue.

"What? You gonna throw another one at me for being right?" Dad mocked.

I looked to the floor, shame across my face. "I'm gonna go to Houston and live with Peter," I told them.

"What?" Mom and Jasmin asked, aghast. Dad only scoffed.

"Figured you run," He muttered.

"No, Jasper, no. You are gonna stay right here in the house and you two are gonna work things out!" She said, but there wasn't much force behind it.

I shook my head. "I'll make the travel plans myself," I said.

"But, Jazz, you can just leave home," Jasmin argued.

"I'm eighteen, Jasmin, I can do anything." With that I left the room again. I was dreading what I would have to do before leaving, but it was something I had to do.

I had to tell Alice.

Cullen House: 10:00pm

Alice's POV

I was worried. Jasper was supposed to come over today, but he called earlier and said he wasn't. What worried me was that Emmett said he sounded upset and distant. I was afraid he had another fight with his dad. Most likely he did. But after fights with his dad, he always comes here at night, so he'd be here.

And like magic, I heard the rustle of trees outside of my balcony window. I pushed back the balcony curtains. Jasper had just climbed onto the balcony. I unlocked the doors and he came in, a sober look on his face. I put my arms around him, like I usually did when he came over after a fight. But he didn't hug back. He stood there, his arms by his side.

I pulled back. "Jasper, what's wrong?" I asked, moving the hair out from his face.

"I hit my dad," He whispered.

"What? You hit him?" I said incredulously. Jasper had never hit his dad before.

"I punched him. Got him in the nose, made it bleed. I can't stay there." His sentences were short and cold.

"Well, you can stay here. Mom and Dad won't mind, and Emmett would love it," I said.

"I'm leaving," He said loudly.

My blood froze. "What?"

"I'm leaving. I'm going to live in Houston with my brother. I can't stay here. I'm a menace," He whispered.

"No," I whispered back, "No, Jasper, you can't leave!"

"I've got a taxi waiting for me outside. I'm leaving tonight." His voice was cold.

I shook my head, tears starting to fall. "No, Jasper, you are not just gonna leave!"

"Go to bed, Alice."

"No, Jasper Whitlock! That's not happening!" He ignored me, and gently picked me up, setting me on my bed.

He kissed the top of my head. "Good bye, Alice. I love you."

I was frozen as he walked away from me. My muscles were locked in place. I could only watch as he left the room and climbed down off the balcony. Like a machine I moved to the window like a sick masochist. I watched as he turned to the side of the house without a backwards glance toward my window. I waited there and listened to the sound of an engine starting, and fading into the distance. I locked the window, closed the curtains, and trudged to my bed again.

Everything that had been so clear, faded to black in my vision, and accepted it.

**Ok, so you might be really mad at me now. Sorry, it had to be done, but I have been dreading this chapter! I almost cried writing it!** **Well, tell me how you like it.**

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	22. Darkest Hour

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight.**

**Author's Note- I've had part of this chapter written out for a while, I just had to make a few minor adjustments.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 21: Darkest Hour

Alice's POV

Dark. That was all I saw. I know that my eyes are open, but I can't see anything. Not the ceiling, not the overhead light. Just a chilling black. I was cold, my blood and mind frozen. I could distantly feel my body tremble with chills. But my skin felt warm. Air wasn't getting into my lungs fast enough, and what was getting in wasn't near enough. I couldn't feel anything but the temperature of the room. The blanket that should be under me, it was like it wasn't there. Every sense of mine was cut off, shattered along with my entire reason. My world, my reason, my soul, my life, and my heart. Jasper.

A gut-wrenching shudder ran up and down my spine at the thought of his name. I wanted to throw up, but there was nothing in my stomach to heave. I was empty.

As hours passed my sense of recognition was reappearing. I could sense someone else in the room. But I knew inside that it wasn't who I wanted, who I needed. The presence would stand next to me, then leave after a few minutes, maybe hours, maybe seconds. I wasn't sure anymore. I could sometimes hear murmured voices, as if I was trying to listen to someone through a door. I tried to concentrate on those voices, but it was useless. I couldn't focus on them or speak to make them stop.

A routine started. I would awake to the never-ending darkness of my vision, and there would be someone in my room next to me. The smell of food would be next to me, and the murmur of a voice would begin. Then after what seemed like hours the voice would leave. I would weakly and blindly reach out for the food I could smell, take a bite or two of it, then drop it back on whatever it was that I'd found it on. Later another voice would enter, and it would be a continuous cycle of a voice leaving, then a new one entering. Then I would fall back into the assault of nightmares that was my sleep. All I could do was accept what was happening. There was no point in trying to search for the light.

The light had left me by its own will.

Rosalie's POV

Jasper had left us. Emmett called not even ten minutes ago to tell me, but Emmett sounded upset and worried. He said that Jasper's mom had called Carlisle to tell him that he'd left.

I was worried. After Emmett's call I was shaking. He wouldn't say anything about Alice. So now, I was driving over myself to see how she was. I was determined to find out, and determined to help in anyway I could. And as I pulled up to the familiar drive, that determined feeling grew larger by the second. When I was outside the house, I got out the car and walked up the steps. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Edward was the one who answered. I was instantly shocked at his appearance. Edward was always the first one to look nice and well dressed, even if he had no plans to do anything with the day. But here he was, still dressed in his pajamas. His hair was even more disheveled then usual. His eyes were what shocked me the most. They were tortured, pained, and almost tear stricken.

His voice was quiet and broken. "Hello, Rosalie. What are you doing here?"

I sucked in a breath and held my chin high, hiding my now growing fear. "Where's Alice?" I asked.

Edward flinched at her name. His voice was shaking as he spoke. "She in her room. Come in." He moved to let me in. As I walked into the living room, my horror grew even higher at the sight that greeted me. Esme was sitting on the couch in Carlisle's arms, crying harshly. Her sobs breaking for air. Carlisle had tears in his eyes, but none of them poured over. His face was heartbroken. I couldn't see Emmett's face. His was buried in his hands, but like Esme, his body was trembling. They were all still in their pajamas. Everyone but Emmett looked up at my entrance. I couldn't stay in here. The atmosphere was choking me. I whispered a quick hello, and quickly went up the stairs. I walked down the long hallway until I reached the room I was searching for. No sound came from inside. I opened the door. It was dark, a dim light coming in from the drawn curtains. It was very warm in here, as it usually was. The light was off and I made no move to turn it on. I scanned the room and I noticed Alice laying on top of her bed. Like the others, she hadn't changed her clothes.

The silence in here was even more choking. I had to break it. "Alice, are you ok?" I whispered softly. But my words echoed through the room, making me shudder.

Alice didn't speak.

I left the door open, letting the light filter into the shadow filled room. I walked over to her bed and looked at her. I gasped in shock and complete horror. It wasn't the Alice I had known. She was curled up, her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Despite the warmth running throughout the room, she was trembling. But it was her face that scared me that most. Her eyes were frightened and empty. Her mouth lightly opened as she panted, and her cheeks were tear-stained and a few tears still lingered.

My heart started to pound erratically. My breaths came in short pants, even with her own. As I looked at her, it was like she couldn't see me. Like she wasn't completely here in the horror filled room. It terrified me. I felt like I would cry. Sobs stuck in my throat and I choked on them. I couldn't say anything. I had never felt helpless, and feeling it now only fueled that terrified feeling in my gut. I quickly left her bedside and walked out of the room, leaving the light off and shutting the door.

I almost ran down the stairs, and when I reached the living room, everyone, even Emmett looked up at me, a lingering shred of hope in their eyes. But I couldn't face them. I averted my eyes and walked out the open front door. I then sprinted to my car. I got in and started it as quickly as I could. I pulled away and drove away from the house. I made it half way home before I had to stop. I pulled over and started to cry. Sobs racked through my chest and I hiccuped loudly. I rested my head on the wheel as I wrapped my arms around my torso. My terror was still growing, the pictures flashed in my head repeatedly like a slide show. Edward's tortured expression, Esme's sobs choking her, Carlisle's quiet tears, Emmett's face buried in his arms, Alice still in her dark and silent room, and then the hope in all of their eyes as I descended down the stairs. No doubt that my reaction had made Esme cry more, killing all of their hope. Alice's face came into my head again like a haunting.

Oh, Jasper, what have you done?

Later at Rosalie's House

It had been a week since I had last gone to the Cullen household. Jasper still hadn't come home, and everyday Edward called to let me know that Alice still hadn't moved. He said that Esme was bringing her food, but she wouldn't speak. Apparently, they had all been talking to her, trying to get her out of bed. Even Bella had tried. She never responded to them. They all asked me to talk to her, but I politely declined. I was still too afraid to go back to that house and into that room. The last image of Alice would still come into my thoughts.

A knock on my bedroom door thankfully melted the image from my head. "Who is it?" I asked.

A rough, broken whisper answered me, "It's me."

Emmett.

I quickly got off of my bed and opened my door, and when I saw him, I almost burst into tears. He was worn, his face already tired, his clothes wrinkled. But even after this whole week, I'd never seen him look like he did now. His face broken into an agonized fear, tears in his eyes. His whole body quivered.

As soon as he registered that I'd opened the door, he pulled me into a tight embrace. He buried his face in my hair. I pulled back and pulled him inside my room. I closed and locked my door. I led him to my bed and sat him down. As soon as he sat down with me, he put his head on my shoulder and broke.

He cried, hard. I didn't know what to do. Emmett had never cried. But now his body shook with heaves as he cried brokenly into my shoulder. I put my arms around him, rubbing his back soothingly, doing my best to comfort him.

"I made her cry, Rose," He whisper through his sobs.

"What?" I asked softly.

He sniffed. "I made Alice cry. I was talking to her, trying to get her out of bed. I told her that she had to get over him. To let him go. And . . ." He broke off with a heart wrenching cry.

My chest squeezed tightly. "And what, Emmett?" I asked.

He shook before he answered. "And it was like she broke. She started screaming at me. She was yelling and crying, telling me that she couldn't just let him go. Then she dropped back to her bed and started to cry even harder," He stopped and took a shaky breath. "She cried because of me. I made my little sister cry, Rosalie! I can't do this. I don't know how!" Emmett whispered with another sob, this one filled with fright.

"It's ok, Emmett. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know that she would act like that. It wasn't your fault," I said.

He shook and he pulled away to fully look at me. His eyes were pleading. "Rosalie, you have to try to talk to her. We can't do it! She won't talk to the others, and I just made her break! You have to at least try!" He begged.

I looked him over once more, and I couldn't say no. "I'll try," I said softly.

He hugged me fiercely. "Thank you, thank you" He repeated gratefully, his voice thick with tears.

The Cullens' House

Emmett drove me to his house the best he could. He was constantly wiping his eyes. He wasn't crying anymore, he'd claimed, the tears were just coming out on their own. As we pulled up to the house it looked threatening to me, but Emmett got out and opened my door for me. I got out and he led me inside. The atmosphere at least wasn't as choking. Edward was sitting on the couch, staring into space, and I could hear Esme in the kitchen. Carlisle was most likely at work.

Emmett didn't linger in the living room, and he dragged me upstairs and to Alice's door. I looked at him once, and his face was the same hopeful face I'd seen before I'd left last week. I sighed, and opened the door.

Not much had changed. It was still dark and warm. It was still too quiet. Alice had changed clothes and it made me wonder if she had changed herself or if Esme had. There was a plate of scarcely touched food on a table next to her bed, and Alice herself wasn't curled up in a ball anymore, but her face held the same look, only the tears on her face had long dried. She was spread out on her bed. I turned on the light. She didn't move. I closed the door as I walked in. I went to her bed and sat down by her side. She still didn't move. She didn't even look at me.

"Alice?" I said, my voice echoing through the hollow room.

She was silent.

I continued. "Look, Alice, you have to get out of bed," I stated simply.

"If you're going to repeat to me what Emmett said, then get out," She said emptily. Her voice shook me to the core. It was as hollow and empty as her room. Lifeless.

I sighed. "I'm not going to repeat what Emmett said. In fact, I know that he was wrong. I know that there is no way that you could get over him. That's impossible," I replied, and I saw a small spark of life come into her eyes, but it dwindled as soon as it came.

I continued. "But, Alice, you have to get up. You are killing the others staying like this. Emmett didn't mean to hurt you. He was just trying to get you up. But the way you reacted sent him to my house, almost crying," I told her. I left out the fact that he did cry. It was something I knew that I shouldn't share. That was a moment I would always remember. "And your mom is heartbroken. She's afraid because she can't help you. They don't know what to do. They're all lifeless without you, Alice."

She still didn't react, but every-now-and-then a small spark would come in her eyes as I spoke, but it would quickly disappear. I knew I would have to bring him up, but I wasn't sure of how she would act.

"Alice, he'll come back," I avoided his name. "If he loves you, he'll come back, and I know that he loves you. We all know." I waited.

Then life came to her eyes, although her face stayed blank. Her body stopped trembling, and her breathing started to even out. I was getting to her.

"Please, Alice," I begged, "please get up."

She let out a hollow sigh and her eyes closed. Her body started to shake every few seconds.

Then she spoke, her voice no longer empty, but it sounded terribly heartbreaking. "I'll get up tomorrow morning," she claimed.

I was shocked, but I didn't push her. "Ok, then. I'll come back here tomorrow," I told her.

She nodded her head weakly.

I got up and started to leave, but when I went to turn off the light she spoke again.

"Rosalie," she said, her voice ringing through the room.

I didn't turn to look at her. "Yes?" I asked.

"Leave the light on."

I nodded this time, and I opened the door. Surprisingly, Emmett wasn't there waiting. I closed the door, keeping the light on, emptying the room of shadows.

I walked back down the stairs, and Emmett, Edward, and Esme were all sitting on the couch, waiting.

Emmett looked up as I walked down the last few steps. "What happened?" He asked, his voice still a little thick.

I sighed. "She said that she'll get up tomorrow morning," I told them. And before I could blink, Esme was hugging me tightly.

"Oh, thank you, Rosalie, thank you," She cried.

I hugged her back. "It was no trouble, really," I muttered, embarrassed.

As soon as she let me go, Edward gave me a slight, awkward hug. "Thanks," he mumbled softly.

Then Emmett hugged me again, like he had in my room. Fiercely, his head buried in my hair. And when he pulled away, his face was furious and determined.

"Edward, where did Mrs. Whitlock say Jasper was staying?" He asked, and his jaw tight.

"With Peter. Why?" Edward questioned, his face slightly suspicious.

Emmett spoke through gritted teeth. "Because I want to know where I need to go in order to kill him."

"Emmett!" Esme warned sternly.

Emmett was still angry. "We can just let him get away with this. Let him leave without a care, while Alice spirals into a state of pain and depression. I think he should feel the same amount of pain as she does," Emmett declared.

"How do you know he doesn't feel the same pain, Emmett?" Edward asked gently.

Emmett's voice was like steel. "Because if he did, he wouldn't have left."

"Emmett, if it was for the best, would you leave town, including me?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No, I would take you with me," He stated.

"But what if I had the same kind of family you and Alice have. A good one, one where I'm totally loved. Where I had everything I wanted without even asking for it. Would you rip me away from all that?" I asked calmly.

Emmett never answered.

Next Day

Alice's POV

I woke up to a small creaking sound. I was still spread across my bed, face up. I averted my eyes to the door. I could only see a shock of bronze hair before the door closed again, making the room slightly darker. I sighed. Edward. I laid on the bed for another second or so before I sat up. I slowly moved my feet and stood up from the bed. I stretched and went to my dresser to pick out an outfit for the day. I was getting up, but I didn't plan to go out today, so I didn't need to dress too warmly. I decided on a pair of tight jeans and a dark blue shirt. Simple. Bella would be proud.

After a few days had passed, I was finally able to connect those murmured voices with members of my family and friends. And I could eventually make out what they were saying. But after what happened with Emmett, I just wish I was still immune to hearing them at all.

I was quick in the shower, not wanting anyone to think I wasn't really coming down. I kept my hair in its usual spiky disarray. I brushed my teeth, got dressed, and went back into my room. I quickly made my bed and cleaned the room up a little. I knew it was all to keep me in the confines of my room a little longer. I wasn't sure if I was ready to leave it yet. But when I looked at my alarm it was close to eight o'clock. I sighed and slowly opened my door. I blinked at the light coming at me. I was used to the dark. I closed my door shut and went down the hall. I could already smell Mom's breakfast cooking, and it made my stomach growl. How long had it been since I'd eaten breakfast at the table? A week? It felt like years.

I descended down the stairs slowly, taking my time. No one was in living room when I was at the bottom of the steps. I looked at the kitchen entrance. I could hear everyone talking, including Rosalie. I sighed. She wasn't kidding.

I took a deep breath and walked into the brightly lit kitchen. Everyone was sitting around the table eating. I noticed an empty chair with an untouched plate in front of it. They had expected me to come down.

At my approach they were all quiet.

"Hi," I mumbled weakly.

Once I spoke, Mom was up, and I was in her arms. I hugged back without as much enthusiasm.

"Oh, Alice!" She cried. She pulled away and tears were in her eyes.

I smiled the best I could. "Good morning, Mom."

Dad stood up from the table and hugged me. "How are you?" He asked gently. This seemed to peak everybody's interest.

I cleared my throat. "Ok, I guess. Better than before," I told him.

He smiled. "Good. Now sit down. Your mom made you a plate." He ushered me to the chair, and I sat down willingly.

"Thanks," I sighed. I looked up to see Rosalie sitting across from me. She gave me an encouraging smile, and I returned it the best I could, but it felt terribly weak.

"It's good to see you out of bed," Edward commented. His grin was as crooked as ever.

Emmett was grinning too. "Yeah. And you do need to worry about Jasper. I'll take care of that!" He remarked.

I flinched as soon as he'd said _his_ name. "Don't, Emmett," I said quietly.

Emmett cocked his head slightly. "What you mean?" He asked.

I sighed. "Just leave him alone. Don't bother him, don't talk about him." I stood from the table and took my plate with me into the living room. I sat on the couch and started to eat again. If anything, I wasn't ready to talk about him yet.

I'd expected Rosalie or Mom to follow me, but it was Edward who sat by me, and joined me in eating. He didn't say anything. He just stayed quiet. It wasn't until both of us had cleaned our plates of food that he spoke.

"Ignore Emmett. He's just trying to make you feel better, but he just doesn't know how to do that yet," He said with a grin.

I nodded. "I know. I just can't talk about it yet. Maybe tomorrow," I told him.

He sighed. Then he patted my knee. "Come here." He stood up and walked over to his piano. I got up and sat on the seat with him. He hit a few notes before his hands started to fly across the keys, his fingers moving quickly. I recognized the melody. It was Mom's favorite one he'd ever written. He looked at me as he played.

I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Edward," I told him.

He shrugged, but the melody never faltered. "You're my sister. I'm here to help," He stated.

"I know. I'll try to lighten up on the whole subject," I said, hoping that I could.

But Edward shook his head. "No, Alice, you have every right to act like this. Don't lighten up just to make this easier on us. Just try to make it easier for you, and you tell us what would help to make it easier, and we'll do it," He told me, his trademark grin in place.

I laid my head on his shoulder. "Thank you, but I think I may have overreacted a bit," I joked slightly.

Edward stopped playing and he put one arm around me. "Don't worry about it. And don't worry about Emmett. He won't do anything to _him_," Edward reassured.

I only winced slightly, but I was grateful that he stayed away from using _his_ name. I was hoping to get over this. This aversion to anything about _him_. I had to be strong. Rosalie was right. I know that he loves me, and he would return. This was for the best right now. At least it was for _him_, and he was important to me. He had meant no harm to anyone. He was only trying to help. And he had to come back. He had to.

Because he was the only one who could bring light back to my darkest hours.

**Poor Alice! I decided that Rosalie would be the one to help I this type of crisis. Seems like her area of expertise. Things with Emmett and Alice are going to get a little more complicated.**

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	23. Christmas

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight.**

**Author's Note- Sorry it's not that long.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 22: Christmas

Edward's POV

Days had passed since Alice had gotten up from bed, and tomorrow was Christmas. Alice had gotten a little better since then, but we only received a small and weak smile or a chuckle. Never the sparkling smiles of hers or the ringing bells of laughter. But she was coping. Emmett was trying harder to help, and he was getting better at it. He never mentioned Jasper's name or even brought up the subject of him. Rosalie's been over a lot more, mostly to be with Alice. I think Rosalie's been the biggest help out of all of us.

"Edward, put that box over here," Mom told me. The tree has been up since a few days after Thanksgiving, and now we were putting the presents under it. When we were little, Emmett had a bad habit of opening any present under the tree that he could find with his name on it before Christmas, so Mom and Dad started putting them in their closet until Christmas Eve. Now it was just a habit, but every time Emmett was handed a present with his name on it to put under the tree, he would shake it gently to hear it rattle. He was such a child.

I set the box down and joined Alice on the floor next to the tree. She was just sitting there, humming to the Christmas song that was playing on the stereo while she waited for Mom or dad to hand her a present to put under the tree.

"So, when do you kids plan to do your gift exchange?" Dad asked, handing me a present. Every year Emmett, Alice, and I exchange our gifts to each other the day before Christmas. It was a tradition we'd made when we were little and were too impatient to wait.

I shrugged. "I don't know, I was thinking after we finish up here," I told him.

"That sounds good," Alice agreed.

"Awesome." Emmett grinned like an idiot as he gently shook the present in his hand.

"Oh, by the way, Alice, . . . you got two gifts in the mail this morning. I wasn't sure when you'd want it," Mom explained, putting one of Dad's presents under the tree.

"Who are they from?" Alice asked quietly, playing with a piece of tinsel on the tree.

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise." Mom grinned, but I sensed a bit of hesitance in the grin. My guess was that they were from Dan, Nikki, and Cynthia. Mom and Dad always seemed hesitant and uncomfortable when talking about them. I think it's because that they're afraid Alice will end up choosing to live with them, and Mom and Dad would have to let her go. I was slightly fearing it too. Alice has been heartbroken and that can lead people to doing weird and rash things. But she showed no signs of leaving.

"Ok, I'll open them later on tonight," Alice mumbled.

Finally we finished putting all the presents under the tree, and us kids went and retrieved ours from our rooms. I got Alice a pair of shoes she'd been thinking about getting awhile ago. She'd been indecisive about it, but this way since I got them she'd never ask us if she should get them again. Emmett got her a new leather jacket. The jacket she'd had was one that Jasper had given her, and she wouldn't wear it now, so she stayed in the house all day. He asked me if it was a good idea, and I thought she'd appreciate it. She seemed to.

I'd gotten Emmett a new football. He popped a big hole in his last one a few days ago, when I dared him to try it. It was smaller than his last one though, it fit easily in his hand. Alice got him a Tennessee football jersey. It was his favorite state and favorite team. Once he'd opened it, he immediately put it on over his shirt.

Alice got me a Breaking Benjamin cd Saturate. I'd kept forgetting to buy it. They were a good band, and it had some good songs on it. Emmett bought me a shirt that said "If my music's too loud, then you're too old." I laughed once I'd read it, and Alice grinned weakly at it, but it quickly disappeared from it.

"Hey, Alice, why don't you open those other gifts now," Emmett suggested, "I wanna see what you got!"

"Ok," Alice muttered, "where are they at?" Alice looked toward Mom.

"Hold on." Mom left the room to come back a minute later with tow presents in her hands. There was a medium-sized box on the bottom, and a smaller one on top of it. "Here they are, honey." She handed Alice the boxes.

"Open the bigger one first!" Emmett chanted.

Alice rolled her eyes and put the bigger box on her lap. "It's from Dan, Nikki, and Cynthia," She said. She tore the paper off. It was a cardboard box. She opened it and pulled out pairs of jeans and shirts. "There's a card in here too." She opened the envelope and pulled out a card. She read it over the card and pulled out a few bills.

"How much did you get?" Emmett asked, more eager than she was.

Alice counted through it. "Fifty-two bucks."

"Awesome! Now open the other one." Emmett leaned a little closer. Mom took the card and put the clothes back in the box as Alice opened the smaller and thinner box. Inside the small box was a beautiful silver sterling neckless. The pendent was in the shape of Texas. I small note fell out of the box. Alice picked it up and her eyes ran over the note. Suddenly, she quickly put the note and neckless back into its box. She picked up the other box, and she hurried off upstairs without saying a word. It was then that we all knew who the smaller one was from, and we didn't need to say it.

The Next Morning

Alice's POV

It was early morning, about eight o'clock, and I was sitting on the couch, running my fingers across the small pendent of the neckless. My heart hurt and felt warmer at the same time. He cared. He cared enough to send me something for Christmas. The words of his note rang in my head.

_Alice,_

_I have no right to send you a gift on such a joyous holiday after what I did to you, but I couldn't help it. Here's to hoping that I'll somehow remain in your heart._

_Jasper_

I couldn't help but worry at his words. He was making it sound as if he was never going to come back. He just had to. He couldn't stay away from here forever. But seeing his letter and gift was like a life preserver. I could think about his name and it didn't hurt so much. Even now I was wearing a shirt he'd left here. It was big on me, past my knees. It still smelt like him.

"Alice?" A tentative voice called from behind me. I looked around the couch to see Mom.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"How are you?" She asked.

I smiled, and it was the biggest smile I'd been able to give in a while. "I'm ok, Mom, really."

Mom smiled too. "Ok." She kissed my cheek. "Breakfast will be done soon." She walked away to the kitchen.

A loud yawn sounded from behind me. I looked over to see Emmett stretching as he plopped down next to me on the couch. "Morning, sis."

"Good morning, Emmett," I greeted. Emmett quickly looked over at me with a confused look. Then he noticed the neckless and his face darkened.

"Why the hell are you wearing that?" He demanded loudly.

I sighed. I didn't want to do this. "I have to, Emmett."

"After what he did, you should fucking smash that to bits!" Emmett snarled.

"Emmett!" I shot a warning at him.

"Why, Alice!"

"Because it means that he still loves me!" I yelled, and my voice broke a little. Mom and Dad rushed into the room, and I could hear Edward start to come down the stairs. But Emmett's face never lightened. I growled once more, and stormed out of the room. We could all hear the front door slam shut as he left the house.

"Are you ok, Alice?" Dad asked.

I shook my head. "I'm fine. I'm worried about Emmett."

"Don't worry about him, Alice." Edward told me. "He just doesn't get it yet."

I knew that. Emmett still didn't understand why I was waiting for Jasper to return, why I'd wear the neckless. He didn't understand why I didn't hate Jasper and wish that he was dead. I just hope that he learns before Jasper comes home.

**So, sorry if this took a little long. I was having a little trouble trying to write this one. Now, I'm trying to decide on something and I need a little help. Do you think I should write a chapter about Jasper in Houston?**

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	24. Babysitting Fun

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 23: Babysitting Fun

Bella's POV

I woke up to the sound of someone pounding on the front door.

"Wake up, Bells! Rose is here!" Charlie called.

"I'm up!" I called back groggily. It was three days after Christmas, and Alice's little sister Cynthia was flying out here today to visit. All of us girls were going to go out to Seattle, Olympia, and Portland to go shopping. Rosalie suggested it, hoping to see Alice cheer up a little more. Although since Christmas, she's cheered up a lot. Jasper's gift made her seem brighter and a little happier, but still nowhere near as happy as she used to be.

I quickly got dressed in jeans and a sweater. Rosalie would have a fit, but we were going shopping anyway, might as well wear my favorite clothes before they throw them out. When I went downstairs Rose was waiting in her car. I told Charlie goodbye and left the house. When I got in next to Rose she gave me a disapproving look, but didn't say anything.

"Have you talked to Alice?" I asked as she started the engine.

"No, only Emmett. He's still upset at the fact Alice has been wearing that neckless since she got it," Rosalie answered. Emmett had stormed out the Cullen house when he saw Alice wearing the neckless. He didn't come home until six, so they had a late dinner and opened presents then. Apparently Emmett apologized for storming out and yelling, but he still didn't like the gift Alice was wearing.

"I don't see why he's mad, she's happier," I replied.

"You know, I've known him forever and I still don't know. He won't tell me why it bothers him so bad," Rosalie said with a sigh.

When she pulled up to the Cullens' house, Alice was waiting for us on their porch. She was dressed appropriately for the season, but she still looked like an angel. It was the best she's ever looked since Jasper left. But then again, this was also the first time she'd be leaving the house since Jasper left. She hopped in the car and Rose started to turn around.

"Hey, guys," Alice greeted. She looked a little happier then normal, probably due to the fact that Cynthia was coming.

"Hey, Alice. How long's Cynthia staying here?" Rosalie asked.

"Three days. It's short, but at least I get to see her," Alice said as she shrugged off her coat. I couldn't blame her. I'd already taken mine off. Rosalie kept her car warm at all times.

"What are we doing after shopping?" I asked.

"I don't know. What do you two have planned?" Alice asked.

"Nothing. I really don't wanna go home. William and Kevin have been fighting a lot, and I don't wanna get in the middle of it anymore," Rosalie told her.

"Yeah, and Charlie's gonna be down at La Push with Billy probably all day," I replied, "What are you and Cynthia gonna do?"

"I'm not sure. I thought we'd go home, and hang out there. You two want to stay over?" Alice asked.

"Sure," Both me and Rose answered.

Seattle Airport

We had just gotten there, when we saw Cynthia waving to us with only one bag in her hand. She rushed over to us, and her and Alice hugged tightly. Cynthia whispered something and both girls giggled, Cynthia's freely, Alice's a little strained.

"Hey, Cynthia," Rose greeted, "It's great to have you here."

"Thanks. Hey, Bella," Cynthia greeted me.

"Hey, Cynthia. How have you been?" I asked as us girls started back toward the parking lot.

Cynthia shrugged. "Pretty good I guess. Nothing out of the ordinary," She sighed then looked at Alice, "Oh! Hey, I was supposed to ask if you got the gift we sent you?"

Alice looked toward the ground for a moment, then back up to her sister's eyes. "Yeah I got it. Thanks, they're really nice," Alice thanked sincerely. Cynthia seemed indifferent to Alice's hesitation and to her strained smiles and laughs. My guess was that someone had told Cynthia about what had happened. I looked over at Rose. It looked like she'd made the same decision.

When we got to the car, we packed Cynthia's bag in the trunk, and we headed to the closest mall.

"Oh, hey, do you girls want to come to Jacob's birthday party with Edward and me?" I asked them.

"Oh, that's right! Jacob's birthday is coming up!" Alice remembered.

"Oh great! The mutt's one year older, let's celebrate!" Even after the truce between gangs, Rosalie still didn't like Jacob. It was mutual though. Jacob didn't like Rosalie either.

"Rose!" Alice chided, "Yeah, we'll come." She looked at Cynthia, "Do you want to come?"

"Yeah, sure, but who's Jacob?" Cynthia asked.

"He's a good friend of mine," I answered.

"Oh, well when's the party?" Cynthia asked.

"The party's tomorrow. It'll be down at First Beach. His house isn't big enough for his whole gang, let alone everyone else," I explained.

"No doubt. Those Quileute boys are huge!" Alice said.

"Yeah, but, Alice, you're tiny. Everyone's huge compared to you," Rose joked. Us other girls laughed, but Alice kicked the back of Rosalie's seat.

"Shut up!" Alice said with a tiny bit of a grin. I smiled. Things were getting better.

The Mall

We made it to the mall easily, what with Rosalie having the directions memorized. I'd hoped that Cynthia wouldn't be like her sister in shopping, but my hope was crushed. That meant that they were repeatedly trying on things and making me do the same. It was torture.

"So, Cynthia, you got a boyfriend?" Rosalie asked, as she passed a shirt to Alice.

Cynthia blushed. "Not anymore."

"What happened?" Alice asked, her face a little worried.

"Oh, nothing. I just didn't think we were good together," Cynthia explained.

"Sounds like a good reason," I said.

"Ah, to be young and in middle school!" Rosalie exclaimed. "It's so easy then. You can breakup with someone, and you can quickly move on!"

"Rosalie, you wouldn't know! You started dating Emmett in middle school!" Alice grinned, and we all laughed.

"Yeah, but it's still true!" Rosalie defended.

"Not always!" Alice replied.

"Most of the time!" Rosalie argued.

Cynthia turned to look at me and whispered, "Are they always like this?"

I nodded. "Usually. They aren't serious, just poking fun at each other," I answered with a grin.

"Think they'll ever grow up?" Cynthia asked.

"Rose? No probably not completely. Alice? Well, if she ends up like her brothers then neither will she," I told her. We both laughed quietly while the other two argued.

That Night

All of us girls were in a circle in Alice's room. Rosalie and I had decided to stay. I'd been right. Charlie was staying in La Push for most of the night, and said that he might even stay over at Billy's if it gets too late. He was eager to have me stay over at the Cullens', hoping it would cheer Alice up to have her friends and sister over for the night. He also thought it was a swell idea to have her come to Jacob's party. Everyone knew about Alice's love for parties and gatherings.

"Ok, so if you could live anywhere, where would you live?"Rosalie asked, directing the question at all of us.

"I would live in Miami. I've always wanted to go to Florida," Cynthia answered, slightly spacing off at the thought.

"Definitely Paris. It's like, the fashion capital of the world!" Alice exclaimed, taking a handful of popcorn from the bowl in the middle of us.

"Los Angeles. Anyplace with sun, I'd be happy with," I said with a sigh.

"What about you, Rose?" Asked Cynthia.

"I'd say New York. My parents took me there last summer to visit my grandparents, and I had a blast. Although, it would have been much more fun if Emmett had come along," Rosalie thought.

"Yeah, but I can't see Emmett coming along on a vacation with your father, and I doubt he would let you two be alone," Alice replied with a grin.

Rose sighed. "Yeah I guess you're right, but it still would have been nice."

"Well next year you two can go wherever you like," Cynthia told her.

"Yep! Graduating this year! Can you believe it?" Rosalie said astonished.

"We're really gonna miss you guys!" Alice frowned at the idea. Alice was really closed to Emmett, well both of her brothers, and I knew she'd hate to lose the one that she could joke around and fight with.

Rosalie looked at Alice with a hesitant expression. "Hey, Alice, can I ask you something about, _him_?"

Alice stilled for a moment and her eyes cast down, but she was quick to regain her cool. "Sure. Go ahead," She assured.

"Well, when he comes back, what are you two gonna do about him graduating?" Rose asked. We all looked toward Alice. It was a really good question. But I couldn't help but notice how Rosalie had said 'when'. She was convinced that he was coming back, as was Alice. I hoped he would, but Jasper's a mystery.

Alice let out a sigh. "I don't know. I mean, we'd never really talked about it before, and now I really have no idea."

"What do you think he'll want to do?" Cynthia asked.

Alice shrugged. "I'm not sure. He might find it better to stay, or he might want to go. Personally, I do want him to go to school. I don't want to be the reason he holds back on his education," Alice confided.

"Well, no matter what," I said with assurance, "whatever you two choose will be the best decision for you guys personally."

"Thanks, Bella," Alice said with a weak smile. It was a smile that showed that she wasn't sure yet. But I was sure. Alice always knew what she wanted, and how to get it. Jasper did too. And once they figured out the mess they were in now, I was sure they'd be able to sort out the mess with school.

If only he comes back.

**Ok, so these few chapters haven't been as long. I'm totally sorry for that! Anyways, the next chapter shall be about Jacob's party. I think I'll have a little of a lot of different POVs in that chapter. And I think that I will write a chapter about Jasper in Houston soon. Maybe after the next chapter? I don't know yet. Really though, tell me if you think I should write about Jasper in Houston.**

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	25. Birthday Party

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight.**

**Author's Note- So this chapter was originally going to have a few other POVs, but I kept it just Jacob because I don't think I'll have another chance to have to have a good chapter with his POV until after the fight, if I even have one after that! So, enjoy.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 24: Birthday Party

Jacob's POV

It was a miracle. It was in the middle of December in Forks, Washington, yet it was sunny outside. Sure it was cold, the snow no where near melting, but the sun was out without a cloud to cover it.

Quil, Embry, and Seth had decided that I needed to have a birthday party, and everyone needed to come. But since my place was no where near big enough for the gang alone, they decided to throw it at First Beach. They got everyone to come, (even Leah) and they had it all set up. They had cleared the snow yesterday with the help of the others, and had a warm fire in a pit with coolers, and chairs, and two picnic tables near it. The gang was already here, along with their families. All that was left was Bella to make it perfect (Charlie had come alone). And I'll be honest. The thought of Bella being at the party made me smile like an idiot.

"Happy birthday, Jake!" Benjamin patted my back. He had just arrived with a few others from the Cullens' gang. Seth had invited all of them to come. Though I had to admit, Benjamin was an ok guy. He became hard to hate after awhile.

"Thanks. Hey have you heard from Bella?" I asked hopelessly. It would be just like Cullen to go and take her on a date instead of my party.

Benjamin shook his head. "Um, no, I haven't. I heard she was coming with Edward and them, so they're probably on their way," He assured

We joined the others by the fire. Dad, Charlie, and their buddies were talking about fishing, the girls seemed glued to some magazine Emily was holding, and the gang was talking about cars with the guys from Twilight. So like the guy I am, I joined the talk about cars.

The roar of an engine made everyone looked toward the source, which happened to be a giant jeep, followed by a yellow Porsche that looked like a mouse compared to it. The vehicles parked next to the other cars, and Emmett hopped out of the jeep and Blondie stepped out of it. Alice and another girl got out of the Porsche, and my heart sped once I saw Bella carefully get out from the jeep, most likely trying not to break anything. But my heart sank like a stone once I saw Cullen get out and help her down. When her feet were carefully on the ground, she turned to look at him and she smiled and blushed as he said something to her. I gritted my teeth as seething jealousy seared through me.

"Hey, Jacob! Nice party man!" Emmett complimented me. He, like Benjamin, patted me on the back, but Emmett's pat almost sent me tumbling to the ground.

"Hi, Jake!" Bella greeted with a smile that made me feel all too warm.

"Hello, Jacob," Cullen greeted, his hand holding hers.

"Hey, guys," I greeted, my smile aimed at Bella.

"Hi, Jake," Alice greeted. Bella had told me about what happened personally, and about how Alice hadn't taken it well. I could tell now that she hadn't been exaggerating. Alice looked sorta lifeless. "This is my sister Cynthia." Alice introduced the other girl. I'd also heard about her sister.

"Hi, Cynthia. It's nice to meet you." I held out my hand, and the younger girl shook it with a blush.

"It's nice to meet you too, Jacob. Bella's told me about you," She said with a slight stutter. Something told me that she never really stuttered, because Alice gave Cynthia a bewildered look.

"Yes, well I've been somewhat told about you," I said with a forced smile. Not that I didn't enjoy talking to her, but I could still see Bella, and Cullen was still attached to her. I was sickening to me, but I knew that if it was me she was with, I'd flaunt it too.

"So how long are you staying?" I asked Cynthia.

"Just for a bit. It's not much, but at least I get to see Alice," Cynthia said. We started to walk toward the coolers and I handed her a soda.

"Well, I guess that's good. How's she been lately with the whole Jasper thing?" I asked. I was a little curious, just like everyone else. I couldn't imagine those two not being together. It was hard to look at it now.

She sighed. "I'm not sure. She hasn't talked about him much, and when someone brings him up she's hesitant."

"Yeah, well, can you blame her?"

"No," Cynthia grinned sadly, "Well, onto a better topic. What made you want to throw a party like this?"

I laughed wryly. "I didn't really. It was my friends' idea. I thought a nice and small get-together would have been just fine, but with having a truce between gangs, they thought it would be cool to have everyone here," I explained.

"But why out here in the cold?"

"Well . . . my place it pretty small, so there's no way in hell we'd all fit in there," I joked with a smile. "So, how are things back where you live? Actually, where do you live?"

"I live in Biloxi, Mississippi, and things there are ok. Everything's normal and boring. That's another reason I came here. It's a lot more fun going shopping with your sister you just met than it is with your mother who you've always known," She said matter-of-factly.

I grinned, "Well, things can get pretty boring here too," I told her. "It all depends on wether or not you have someone to make it fun." And my eyes unwillingly drifted to Bella.

Later, when it was darker, and everyone was huddled over by the fire telling stories, I drifted off to the cars, hoping to maybe sit in my car and listen to music. I couldn't take another minute of watching Bella and Cullen being romantic, holding hands, her leaning her head on his shoulder, and him running his fingers through her hair.

I let out a breath when I got to the cars, but I stopped just by Emmett's jeep. There, leaning on the car next to mine, was Leah, looking up, and watching the barely visible clouds rolling in toward the moon. I wasn't sure what to do. Go toward my car and hope that Leah would ignore me, or go back and watch Cullen repeatedly brush strands of Bella's hair away from her eyes. With a heavy sigh, I kept walking toward the car.

Life was really starting to suck for me, because at my approach, Leah looked away from the sky and toward me.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, her usual scowl gone from her face.

I stopped walking, I was right in front of her, and shrugged. "I don't know. Just getting some air that doesn't smell like roasted marshmallows and hotdogs," I answered.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Tired of having to look at Cullen and Swan?" She asked.

I gritted my teeth and looked away. "I don't know what you mean."

"Yeah right," She scoffed. Then her tone was a little softer, but it still had that edge to it. "Why do you think I'm out here? Same reason as you."

"Cullen annoying you too?" I teased looking back at her. But I knew who'd she'd meant, and her face held no room for her scowl among the looks of longing and despair.

"You know what I mean," she whispered.

I looked down and kicked at a rock. It skidded away from us. "Yeah, I do know what you mean. And it does suck," I muttered.

"It doesn't really get better," Leah said, "No matter what, and sometimes it feels like it only gets worse."

"That's bleak," I muttered. "I bet if you'd get over Sam, you'd feel better."

"Easier said then done. I'll get over Sam the day you get over Swan," Leah replied.

I nodded and took a few steps and leaned against the car beside her. "You got a deal," I told her with a humorless grin. She had one on her face too. It was weird seeing this side of Leah after so long of her turning into a mega bitch. But I had to admit that I kind of liked it. I had helped me calm down easier knowing that Leah was going through the same thing. Maybe that was selfish of me, but it was true.

"You, Jacob, you got it easy," Leah said with a chuckle.

"Why do you think that?" I asked.

"Because I've heard Sam and Emily say 'I love you' to each other, so I have no chance with Sam anymore. But you, you still have a chance to win Bella over," Leah explained.

I looked down and replayed all the times I'd seen Bella since her Cullen started going out.

"No, I don't," I muttered with a twisted grin, "I don't have a chance in hell." And for once Leah didn't argue back.

We both just stood there, looking from the ground, to the sky, to the waves that rolled onto the beach. We were quiet and the silence was welcomed. But I had to admit that I didn't want to be able to think. My thoughts kept sliding over to Bella and how much I wanted to be with her, to how she and Cullen always looked at each other. Looks full of love and adoration, even if their love had been verbalized yet. We could all see it, and it hurt to acknowledge it. Hell, it hurt to think about it.

"What made you come to the party?" I asked quickly, "doesn't seem like your thing. Especially with Sam and Emily being here."

Leah shrugged. "I don't really know. Seth wanted me to come, and at first I thought that was my reason . . . but really it was just so I could see him, even though I am constantly seeing him almost every day. Makes me a pretty sick masochist huh?" Leah grinned ruefully at me.

I almost laughed, and I almost cried. "Well if it does, then I'm right up there with you. I always go to Bella's house with Seth or Quil on weekends, and I'm always thinking that it's because Seth or Quil really wants to go, but hell I'd probably go anyway. Just to see her for as long as I can," I faded off into a whisper.

"It's hard not to go to them, isn't it?" Leah asked, to the air and to me, "When you find the chance, you just feel the need to run and see them, knowing that seeing them will only hurt you later."

"So hard it's unbearable," I murmured.

"At least when Bella graduates she'll be leaving Forks," Leah sighed, "Sam is staying here on the Rez."

"Yeah, but that just makes me want to be around her even more, knowing that she'll be gone, even if it is awhile away from now."

"I guess you're right. I'd probably follow Sam everywhere if I knew that soon he would be leaving. And then when he left, It'd hurt that much more because not only would he be gone, but I've been too addicted to being near him to handle him being gone," Leah explained.

"You know, I heard a saying once. I was like, 'The hardest thing to do is watch the one you love, love someone else'. I think it fits well with us," I joked.

Leah smiled. "Yeah, that kind of does fit. But I know another saying that fits us too." She turned to look at me, and her smile widened a little.

"What is it?" I asked.

Leah smiled still as she quoted, "'Nothing hurts more than realizing they meant everything to you and you meant nothing to them.'"

Oh how right she was.

**Oh! It's a sad chapter! I'm starting to love writing chapters with Jacob and Leah. It really just kinda flows really well when I write these, but they're so sad! So, I've decided that a chapter with Jasper shall be written next. Actually, I've had it written for a long time now, I've just been debating on wether or not to put in the story. So, expect it soon.**

**Animeaddict**


	26. Houston

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight.**

**Author's Note- So, here is Jasper's chapter. It'll also reveal something everyone's been dying to know. Wether he's staying or leaving, and if he does leave, when? I've had this written out for awhile, but I wasn't sure if I should put it in, but nevertheless, here it is! Enjoy.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 25: Houston

Jasper's POV

Alice. Alice Cullen. I was losing my mind. It feels like it's been a hundred years since I last saw her. Her smiling face appeared into my mind, and I gladly welcomed it. Her shining teeth, her musical laughter. Her gleaming eyes and silky smooth raven hair. Her skin soft and pale, leaving a tingle where ever she touched. It was like a dream.

But my dream quickly became a nightmare.

Suddenly, she was no longer smiling. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, her hair unkept from having just woken up. Her eyes wide, fear staining them. Her body slightly quivering. Her mouth open, and her breathing heavy and quick. It was the image that haunted my dreams. It was branded in my head. It had been how I'd left her that night. The last time I'd seen her.

My heart ached as my eyes shot open. I quickly sat up. I had fallen asleep on the couch. The sunlight hurt my eyes before they adjusted. I looked at the clock on the wall. It wasn't even noon yet. I groaned and wiped the cold sweat off of my forehead.

I heard the footsteps before I saw her. Charlotte popped her head into the room. Her flowing hair a beautiful blonde. Her eyes a warm, chocolate brown. Her blouse was a nice yellow, and her pants were a bright white.

"Are you ok, Jasper?" She asked. She came over and sat down next to me.

After all this time I've spent here, the awkwardness that had been between us was gone. She was great to talk to.

I shook my head. "Nothing, a bad dream," I said.

"Was it about . . . her?" She asked. Both her and Peter never said _her_ name, but I instantly knew who she meant, and my heart squeezed painfully. I hunched over and put my elbows on my knees and put my head in my hands. If I could, I'd probably have cried. But it wasn't in me.

My reaction must have said it all. "Jasper, maybe you should go home," Charlotte suggested.

I shook my head. "This is my home. The great state of Texas," I lied, my voice hoarse.

"That's a load of bull!" We both looked toward the kitchen. Peter was leaning against the frame. He was an exact version of me, only older. His blonde hair was messy, covering his blue eyes. His silk shirt was white, black, and red. His old Levi's a faded blue.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded weakly.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Jasper, do you love Alice. I mean truly love her?" He asked.

I flinched at his use of her name. "Of course I love her! How dumb are you?" I asked. That had to be the stupidest question I'd ever been asked.

"Well, than this is not your home. Take it from me. For you, home is where Alice is. Just like my home is where Charlotte is. Now, you need to be a man, and go back to Forks. You need to face Dad, then you need to beg for her to take you back," He preached.

I shook my head again. "I can't go back. I punched him square in the face! I can't face him again. I can't look at Mom, Dad, or Jasmin without feeling guilty!" I told him.

Peter's face relaxed. He came and sat in the armchair next to me. He put his hand on my shoulder. "Look. I remember Carlisle and Esme. They're nice and caring. They really like you, and you're important to their daughter. If it would help, I'm sure they wouldn't mind you staying with them for a while," He paused, then continued with a grin. "And Emmett and Edward aren't going to hurt you. First, because as I said, you are important to Alice. Second, you're still their best friend. And lastly, if you two really love each other like you say you do, then she can't be in any better shape than you are. So I'm sure that seeing you is going to be good for her. They wouldn't take that away from her."

I was stunned. It made sense, but . . . could I go back? Would Carlisle and Esme really let me stay? I don't know. But Peter is right. I can't do this anymore. I have to go back. And if Carlisle and Esme say I can't stay with them, then I guess I'll go and face my dad, but damn it I have to be a man! I'm going home!

"Thanks," I mumbled. "You wanna help me pack?" I asked.

Peter grinned. "I'll help. Charlotte, you wanna call about a ticket for today?" Peter asked.

Charlotte smiled softly. "Of course."

At the Airport

I was getting ready to board. I was getting ready to leave back to Forks. I would get off at Seattle, and then stay at a hotel and go to Alice's tomorrow. I couldn't wait.

Charlotte pulled me into a soft embrace. "Good luck, Jasper. Come visit sometime. We'll miss you." She pulled back with a smile.

Peter put his arm around my shoulder in a brotherly embrace. "Be carful. Call me sometime. And if you do visit, bring Alice with. You look like hell without her," He joked.

"Thanks. And thanks for taking me in. I appreciate it," I thanked.

Peter rolled his eyes. "You're my little bro. I'll always have room for you at my house," Peter assured me.

I waved as went to go board. Alice, I'm almost there.

In Washington

I stood outside of the airport, waiting for the taxi I had called to arrive. I only had one bag, it was all I had took when I left. It felt great to be back under the clouds, the windy weather. Surprisingly, it wasn't raining.

Alice, I was so close, tomorrow couldn't come slower. I hated being so close, yet not being able to see her.

Finally, the taxi pulled up. I got in, setting my bag next to me, and closed the door. The inside was warm, the heat on full blast.

"Where to?" The driver asked.

I spoke before I'd thought about it. "Can you take me to Forks?" I asked. I stopped all thoughts. Why did I say that? Then my own answer was only one word.

Alice.

"Yeah, but it might be costly," The driver replied. At least he was honest.

I threw him a hundred. "You can keep the change."

"Thanks," He peeled away from the airport. "So, you got a girl or something waiting for you there?" He asked.

"How did you know?" I asked. Was I really obvious?

"Well you do have a love struck face, but not many guys pay that much and let me keep the change, unless they got a girl they have to see," He explained.

"Oh. Well, yeah actually, I do," I told him.

I gave off a loud yawn. "Hey, boy, why don't you take a nap, and I'll wake you up when we're there," He suggested.

I grinned. I was beginning to really like this guy. "Thanks." I took a look at the clock on the dashboard. It was almost nine-thirty. Wouldn't be too long now.

It was a nice ride there. When I had woken up, I talked with Max the driver. He was really cool, really laid-back. He seemed happy that I had a girl to care for.

"I had a girl like that when I was a little older than you. But I was prideful and I let her get away. Lost a good job while I was at it. And here I am," Max gave me a very stern look. "This is important, and I don't mean to be preachy, but you hang on to that girl. Pride is the downfall of all men, not women. They just make life better."

I'd found his speech very true and very inspiring. He was the type of guy who kids should listen to, instead of some of those other drugged up actors.

"So, you messed up a lot?" I asked.

Max nodded. "Yep. Started smoking when I was younger than you, sold my grandfather's guitar, I even sent a punch to my old man on Christmas," He told me.

I gulped. "You did?" I asked.

Max sighed. "Yeah. The worst part about that is that I never thought he wouldn't be around for the next Christmas."

My eyes widened. "He died?"

He nodded. "Yeah, he did."

"Man, I hope that doesn't happen to me and my dad," I said quietly.

Max heard me. "You took a swing at you dad?"

I nodded ashamedly. "Yeah. We've always been arguing with each other. But he said something about me and my girlfriend, and I swung and got him in the face. I felt horrible and ashamed, so I ran off to Houston to stay with my brother," I admitted.

"Left your girl here didn't you?"

I sighed. "Yeah," I whispered, "I did leave her."

Max gave a wry chuckle. "You'd better pray that she takes you back."

I grinned ruefully. "I've been praying that since I left."

An Hour Later

Max dropped me off at the Cullen House. I thanked him and he thanked me for the money. I was a little sad to see him go. He told me some of his other screw ups and his life had been pretty interesting when he was my age.

But now I looked up at the big house, and after being away it looked slightly intimidating. I walked around until I found the balcony window I was looking for. The familiar window and all the surroundings were burned into my memory. I picked up two small pebbles. I hurled one at the window. I waited a few seconds. No answer, no lights turned on. I threw the other one. Waited. Nothing. I sighed as I went to the tree and started to climb. The rough bark was familiar under my hands. I pulled myself up the tree, and when I reached the branch level with the balcony, I jumped and landed on the balcony floor on my feet. I hadn't lost my touch thank God. I knocked on the window, hoping to wake her up. This time after a few seconds, lights turned on in the room. I knocked again, a little lighter. I waited a few more seconds but she didn't come to the window. It worried me.

"Alice," I called softly, but loud enough for anyone in the room to hear. I held my breath, wondering if she hadn't heard me when the curtains flew back, light shining out the window and onto the back of the one who had heard my call.

**Take a guess on who it is. I'm sure you'll all know who it is. It wasn't sure on how to end this, so this was the best I could do. Next chapter will be here shortly too. (I've had it written for a long time too!) I get eager on chapters I really want to write!**

**Animeaddict**


	27. Homecoming

**Disclaimer- I don't own Twilight.**

**Author's Note- I've had this chapter written out for awhile too, and this one it pretty dang serious. I thought it was time to show why Emmett's so mad about Jasper leaving.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 26: Homecoming

I was sitting in a dull, Biology classroom, painstakingly waiting for the shrill bell to ring. I had been waiting for what felt like hours for it to sound. All of the sudden, I heard a tap. It was light, like something was hitting a window. Then the tap came again, only seven seconds after the first, and it was louder. What was that? Then after mentally counting seven seconds, there was no other tap. But there was a rustling of branches and then a scuffling.

Then I flew straight up in my bed as a loud knock awoke me. I didn't move. I couldn't see anything in the dark, so I stumbled out of bed and turned on my lights. I'd thanked that the heat was on. For once I wasn't cold sleeping in boy shorts and a tank top in the winter.

The knock came again. It wasn't from my door. It was coming from my balcony window. I stayed quiet, wondering if maybe it was only the trees. Then a voice called.

"Alice?" The voice made my heart stop and stutter repeatedly. It was rough yet soothing, with a southern accent to it. It was the voice of an angel. My angel. Jasper!

I flew to my balcony, throwing the curtains back, and staring into the night. There, drenched in the pouring rain, was Jasper. His honey-blonde hair was soaked, hanging down into his eyes, reaching almost to his chin. His eyes were a dark midnight blue. Love and adoration shone in them. His leather jacket and grey jeans were dripping wet, and he was holding one sports bag. He was beautiful, even more so than the last time I'd seen him.

I quickly unlocked the doors and opened them. I stepped aside to let him in, and without a word he came in. He set his bag down, and I locked the doors and drew the curtains. When I turned to look at my angel, he was looking at me. He took a stride that brought him close to me, and he pulled me into his soft embrace, holding me to him tightly.

"Alice," He murmured into my hair, kissing the top of my head.

I felt the tears weld up in my eyes and I didn't hold them back. I let them pour over, and run down my cheeks. I trembled only slightly, but Jasper noticed and he grew stiff.

He took my chin and pulled my face up to look at him. His eyes widened at my tears, and then they softened and held a look of shame. He brushed them away.

"Damn it," He muttered quietly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

His words were whispered so quietly, I had to strain to hear him. "I made you cry, even after I'd promised that I wouldn't."

I almost laughed. "Jasper, that's different. You didn't hurt me by coming here. You just made me completely and utterly happy. There's a difference," I told him.

His face was still ashamed. "But I did hurt you. I hurt you when I left, and don't tell me I didn't. I know what I did." His face was so heartbroken that it hurt.

I buried my head into his chest. "But I'm ok now. You're here."

"But I shouldn't be," He said.

I quickly looked up at him. "What?" I asked, afraid.

He sighed. "Alice, I hurt you. I left, and did nothing to make it easier. I didn't even say that I would come back. I haven't deserved the right to come here. I should have waited," He admitted.

My chest squeezed at his words and I was abruptly furious. "Jasper Ronnie Whitlock, don't even go there!" I snapped. He looked shocked at my tone, so I softened my approach. "Jasper, you do deserve to be here. Why? Because I said so. And I'm glad you came here first instead of somewhere else. I'd probably been pissed if you waited to tell me you were back," I joked, but my voice almost broke.

Jasper gave a small grin and my heart pounded. "Ok, if you say so."

"I do say so. Now let's get you out of these clothes. I still have some of yours in my closet. You are staying here tonight," I commanded.

"You do?" He seemed shocked.

I shrugged. "Yeah, I sleep in some of them." Which was true.

He smiled softly. "If you want me to stay, I will. From now on, what you say, goes," He told me.

I rolled my eyes. "Jasper, . . ."

"No, Alice, that much I owe you. Hell I owe you more than that, but right now it's the best I can do." He went to my closet and pulled out a red shirt. He took off his soaked jacket and blue shirt, and I couldn't look away for the time that his chest was bare. It felt like eternity since I'd last seen him shirtless. I realized now that, that was something I really, really missed. He slipped on the red shirt and quickly disposed of his jeans, revealing a pair of black boxers.

He turned to look at me. He held out his hand, and I gladly took it. He quickly picked me up and set me on the bed, and he quickly laid next to me. He pulled the covers over us both, and wrapped his arm around me. His silken skin was cold, but I snuggled up to him as close as I could get.

"Alice?" Jasper said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" I asked.

He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry."

Now it was my turn to sigh. "Jazz, I'm not mad, didn't you get that? I understand why you left. I shouldn't have acted like I did when you left," I told him

"Alice, you had every right to. And you have every right to be mad now," Jasper said.

"But I'm not," I interjected. "Besides, I have a question."

"What?" He asked.

"What about the others? Do they know about you being back?" I asked.

"No. Only Peter and Charlotte, and now you. I'm going to my house tomorrow, sort things out with my dad, and then tell the others I'm back. Also, how's Emmett?" He asked hesitantly.

I hesitated too, "Well, he's not really happy," I told him.

"So he hates me?"

"Hey," I grabbed his face, turning him to look at me. "It doesn't matter if Emmett's mad at you. He'll get over it. As long as you stay, I don't care."

"I'm never leaving you. Not again," He gave me a wry grin. "I went through hell in Houston. I went through days without seeing your smile, or hearing you laugh. I'd rather be shot," He admitted, "Every night I'd try to think about you smiling or laughing, and my dreams would be a little bit better," Then his face twisted into a look of pain, and it tore at my heart. "But at the end of each dream, it warped into a nightmare, and I'd see how I left you that night." We both cringed at his words.

"But," I told him, "you're here now. That's all that matters to me. And I'm not letting you leave my side for quite awhile." I unconsciously smiled at the thought.

Then suddenly, his lips were pressed roughly and passionately on mine. His hand tangled into my hair and I kept mine on his shoulders. He pulled me closer when he broke the kiss.

"I'm sorry," He said breathlessly, "But I might do that for a while whenever you smile or laugh. I've been going crazy without seeing and hearing you laugh and smile."

I grinned. "Well, what if I did both?" I asked teasingly.

He caught on and grinned with me. "Well, that could be quiet disastrous. Emmett might hear us if that happens." He smiled wryly.

I didn't even mean to, but I giggled, and he kissed me again.

"Mmm, I just might like this new habit of yours," I joked. My hands roamed his covered chest, while his rubbed soothing circles on the small of my back. I put my lips to his in a sweet and loving kiss. One of my hands tangled itself into his blonde locks, while the other one pulled at the hem of his shirt.

He pulled my hand away and pulled away from my lips.

"What?" I asked, begrudgingly.

"I can't do that, Alice. I already feel like I don't deserve to be here, but you say I do. But I don't deserve to touch you in that way until I have everyone's forgiveness. Please understand." His eyes begged for understanding.

I sighed. "Ok," I smiled. "I can deal with that."

He gave me another kiss, only this one lasted longer. He held me to him, and I didn't pull away. I just laid with him, listening to his even breathing, until I finally fell asleep in his arms.

He had brought the light back to my darkest hours.

In the Morning

I awoke with a light shake of my shoulder and someone whispering my name.

"Alice? Sweetheart, wake up. I've got to leave soon," Jasper whispered.

My eyes flew open and I held him tighter. "Don't leave!" I whispered frantically.

Jasper's face was understanding and loving. "Ok. I'll stay with you. But that means that you'll have to come with me to my parents," He told me, his face showing a tiny bit of fear at the idea.

"Ok," I whispered into his neck.

"All right. Let's get dressed. I'll sneak out the window and hide in the garage. You give an excuse and get out of the house, and we'll leave," Jasper planned.

"Sounds good," I smiled. He kissed me. I was really loving this habit!

We got dressed, and with a desperate parting kiss, Jasper descended down my balcony. I watched as he quickly dashed to the garage. I turned to my alarm. It was almost ten-thirty. The others would be up. Perfect. I went down the stairs two at a time. The smell of breakfast made my mouth water, but I had no time to eat. I slowed my hurried pace as I entered the kitchen. The others were all eating.

"Morning, Sis!" Emmett greeted with his mouth full. "Have some breakfast!"

"Good morning, Alice," Mom greeted from the stove. Dad said a hello, and Edward only nodded to me before he went back to his book.

"Sorry, Emmett, but I have something I have to do this morning, so I'm gonna leave. I'll be back soon," I told them.

"What about breakfast?" Mom asked worriedly.

I shrugged. "I'll go to the Coffee Shop, or something. Don't worry," I assured her.

"Well, all right. Have fun." She kissed my forehead, and gave me a hug.

"Bye." And I was out the house, but as I left the room I noticed Edward staring at me curiously.

I almost sprinted to the garage. Jasper was sitting in my Porsche. I smiled and got in the driver's side.

He kissed me. "Hey, beautiful. Ready?" He asked.

"Yep." I started the car and drove out of the garage, and down the drive.

Jasper's POV

I had stared at her the whole way to the house. She was so beautiful. My heart had soared last night when I noticed that she was wearing the neckless I'd sent. But now I had a major problem. We were parked outside of my house. The kitchen light was on and my father's car was still in the driveway. I gulped.

I looked toward Alice. "Are you ready?" I asked.

She smiled tentatively. "Yeah. Are you?" She asked.

I sighed. "I guess. Let's go."

We got out of the car, and walked up the sidewalk that led up the porch. We went up the steps, and we were in front of the door. Alice took my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I smiled at her. I looked back at the door. I sucked in a deep breath, and knocked.

There was shuffling and footsteps stepping toward the door. It opened revealing Jasmin. Her blonde hair up in its usual ponytail, her blue eyes bright with surprise. Her green top showed off her stomach and her black shorts were too short, but I knew that she slept in them.

"Jasper?" She whispered in disbelief.

"Hey, Jasmin," I greeted. She then jumped on me, tightly hugging me. I held onto her and hugged her back. After about a minute, I set her down.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in a whisper.

"I came to see Mom and Dad. Can I come in?" I asked.

She gave me a weird look. "Jasper, you don't have to ask if you can come into your own home. Come on, they're in the kitchen." I wanted to disagree. My home was with Alice, but now wasn't the time. We all walked into the kitchen. My mom and dad looked up and were shocked into silence.

My father was reading the paper, and my mother had been sipping coffee while flipping through a magazine

"Jasper?" My mom asked.

I kicked at the floor. "Hey, Mom, . . . Dad," I greeted. My dad ignored me and went back to his paper.

An awkward silence filled the room, before my mother broke it.

"Girls why don't we go into the other room. Jasmin can show us her latest dance steps," My mother suggested as she stood.

Jasmin turned and left the room, and when I kissed Alice once more, she and my mother left too. Now it was only me and my father. We heard the door to the den close, and my dad finally spoke.

"What are you doing back?" He asked gruffly.

I shrugged. "Peter and Charlotte convinced me to come back. I wasn't doing anyone any good being down there. So I came back," I explained, my tone the same as his.

"It's that girl isn't it?" He demanded.

I tensed. I was ready to take another swing if he said anything about her. "Yeah, that's the big part."

"Well, why don't you just live with her?" he asked coldly.

"I plan to," I replied briskly.

That caught him off guard. "What?" He asked.

"If she wants me to live with her, then I will. And you can call me a whipped bitch again all you want, but I owe her so much. She's forgiven me, and she's not even mad. But I owe her, so whatever she wants, I'll give it to her. If she wants me over, then I'll be there. I love her. And if you don't like it, then you can go shove it," I told him, my voice hard as steel, my posture stiff.

He seemed shocked at my words. It wasn't normal for me to talk to him like that, but he needed to know.

"Well, seems like going to Houston manned you up. That's good for you. You ever gonna come home?" He asked.

I let out a silent sigh. "If I'm with her then I am home," I said. I waited for him to call me something, but he only nodded.

"Being away from her certainly took its toll. You look like hell, boy," He commented, and I didn't doubt him.

I only shrugged in response.

"Well, you won't want to keep her waiting. You two get on out of here. Make sure you come back at least once a day. Um . . . your mom and sister will be upset if you don't," He stated, a little embarrassed.

I almost smiled at his unsaid words. "Sure. I'd hate to disappoint them," I replied.

I turned my back to him and walked to the kitchen entrance before I turned my head to look back at him.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?" He asked roughly.

"It's good to see ya."

He was silent for a moment. "Yeah, it's good to have you back."

I turned back, and I couldn't see him, but I knew that his grin probably mirrored my own.

I walked down the small hall and knocked on the den door before I opened it.

"Hey," I looked at Alice, "you ready to face the others?" I asked.

Alice stood up. "I guess." I could see her hesitant manner.

My mom gave a small grimace. "Are you leaving already?" She asked.

I chuckled. "Yeah, I've still got some loose ends to tie, but I'll come back sometime," I told them.

I gave her a tight hug, then gave one to Jasmin, before me and Alice left the house. We got into the car, and Alice sent a text to Rosalie, telling her to get Bella, and to go to her house. Rosalie replied saying that she and Bella would be there in ten minutes. Alice pulled away from the house, planning on just driving around for a while.

"So, did you and your dad settle it?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I guess you could say that. Seems like it to me," I told her.

"That's good," Alice replied cheerfully. In her eyes I could see the hesitant feeling. I knew she was worried about me and Emmett. I had known that Emmett wasn't happy with me. I'd gotten a few voice mails that confirmed that. But I knew from the beginning that he would hate me for leaving. I wasn't sure about Edward.

"Alice, about Edward . . . does he hate me?" I asked. I feared her answer.

She gave a sigh. "No, he doesn't hate you, but I won't say that he's happy with you. But he will forgive you quicker than Emmett. You'll have no problem with Mom and Dad forgiving you. They say that they understand why you left," She explained.

I nodded. I wasn't worried about Carlisle and Esme, well I was worried about Carlisle, but I was mainly worried about Edward and Emmett. Those two would have no problem with beating the hell out me.

"The others?" I asked, hoping to be distracted.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Well there's no doubt that Bella will forgive you. And Rosalie, I'm pretty sure she'll forgive you."

I gave her a look of disbelief. Rosalie forgive me? That quick? Yeah right. But Alice only grinned at the look I gave her.

As she pulled into her garage, I noticed Rosalie's red BMW. I gulped. I was already readying myself to be hit.

We walked through the front door. The living room was empty.

"Mom, Dad!" Alice called.

"We're all in the dining room," Carlisle called back to her.

I gulped again, and Alice grabbed my hand for comfort as she pulled me toward the dining room archway. I sucked in a deep breath before we went in.

Everyone was sitting or standing around the table. And once I'd walked in with Alice, all of their eyes widened. I noticed that Emmett's was the first and only to turn furious.

"What the hell!" He shouted, standing up from the table, his fists clenched tight, his eyes glaring.

"Jasper?" Esme whispered in astonishment.

I looked down at Alice, and her smile was reassuring.

"Hello," I greeted.

Emmett exploded. "Hello? That's what you say? After you leave us all! You left my sister in tears and shoot her into a state of depression, and all you say is hello!" Emmett yelled.

I flinched at his words, my heart ached at the thought of what I could've done to her. Alice squeezed my hand, but she didn't say anything. Rosalie took Emmett's own hand, but he didn't look at her.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"Well sorry doesn't cover it!" Emmett yelled.

"Emmett!" Esme chided.

"No! Don't feel bad for him! Do you not remember what he did to her?" He turned his glare toward Alice, "Why the hell did you bring him here? Are you just gonna forgive him?"

Alice glared back at him. "Yes, I did forgive him. I forgave him when he came back last night," she declared.

Emmett's anger flew higher. "Last night! So what, did he come through your window again?" He demanded.

"Yes," Alice replied.

Emmett turned to me. "Well he had no right!" He yelled.

Alice glared harder. "He had every right!" She defended. I didn't deserve her defense.

"No," I said softly, "Emmett's right. I didn't have the right."

Alice gave me an astonished look.

But Emmett didn't back down, and Emmett asked the one question they all probably wanted to know.

"Then why did you come back?" He questioned.

I sighed. "Because it almost killed me. I couldn't stay away from her anymore," I told him.

Emmett's jaw was tight. "Well, you saw her. Now beat it!" He growled.

Alice glared balefully at him, as did Rosalie.

I took a deep breath. "No."

Emmett tensed. "What?" He asked, his breaths ragged, his anger seeping out of him.

"I said no."

"And why the hell not?" He demanded, his fist twitching, wanting to connect with something.

"Because Alice wants me to stay with her, so I will. I made the mistake of leaving her once, I will not make that mistake again," I stated.

Emmett snarled, and he would have swung at me if Rosalie didn't hold his fist in her hands.

I ignored him and turned to look at Esme and Carlisle. "I'm sorry, about what I did, and I'm going to do everything I can to make it better," I told them.

They smiled. Carlisle spoke, "Jasper, we understand. We already forgive you for what happened. You meant no harm." Esme nodded in agreement, her smile beaming.

I looked at Edward and his face was impassive. "Well," He seemed reluctant. He looked toward Bella, to Alice, and then back to me. "Alice seems happy to have you back. So if she's happy, then I'll get over it. Nice to have you back." His grin was his trademark crooked grin.

"I forgive you too," Bella replied before I could ask her.

When I looked at Rosalie, she looked really hesitant as Emmett looked at her too.

After a minute of silence, she said, "I forgive you too, Jasper."

I internally smiled.

Emmett looked bewildered, but quickly threw a glare of betrayal at her, and then stormed out of the room.

Rosalie sighed, then looked at me. "Jasper, can I talk to you for a minute in the other room?" She asked.

I was surprised, but I nodded, and she towed me toward the kitchen. She shut the door behind us.

"What is it?" I asked.

Rosalie hopped up on the counter to sit, and I stood next to her.

"I figured that you'd want to know what happened when you left," She replied, "And it'd probably be easier on you and Alice if I was the one to tell you."

I cringed, and gulped. "What did happen?" I asked.

Rosalie let out a sigh before starting. "The morning after you left, Jasmin called Carlisle to tell him. He told Emmett, Edward, and Esme. They called me and Bella, but when I asked about Alice, Emmett didn't answer. So, I came over to see if she was ok . . ." Rosalie trailed off softly.

"And?" I asked.

Rosalie's face was so sad it was heartbreaking. "When I went into her room, it was almost pitch black. Her light was off, her curtains drawn. It was silent. She was laying on her side on her bed, still in her pajamas. When I asked if she was ok, she didn't say anything. I walked over to her bed to see her face.

"Her face was terrified. Her eyes wide with horror, her legs up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. It was really hot in her room, but she was trembling. She had a tear or two on her cheeks. I felt helpless. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. I was scared. So I got up and left the room, leaving the light off.

"She stayed like that for a week. Everyone had tried to talk to her, to get her out of bed, but me. When they'd asked me to, I said that I couldn't," She paused, and looked down at her lap, "Then Emmett made her scream and cry, and it nearly killed him."

I felt angry at that. "What did Emmett say to make her cry?" I asked.

Rosalie sighed. "He didn't mean to. He didn't know what to say. He said that she should get over you, let it go, things like that. I guess that Alice threw a fit. That was when Emmett came to my house, his face hopeless and like he wished he could cry. That was when he begged me to try and talk to her. So I did."

I was quiet when I spoke. "What did you say?" I asked.

Rosalie's eyes were on the cool tiled floor. "I told her the opposite of what Emmett told her. I knew that she wouldn't be able to get over you. I knew that it would be impossible for her to do that. So I told her that she needed to get up, that she was killing her family acting like this," She paused for a moment, then continued softly, "Then I told her that if you loved her that you'd come back. I guess that got her, and she said she'd get out of bed tomorrow.

"So I came over really early the next day, and sure enough, she woke up at about eight and she was up. But she wasn't happy. She flinched at any mention of you. But she got better. After a while, she would smile, she would laugh again, but she was never happy. But I think what really got her to laugh and smile again, was the present you sent her on Christmas," Rosalie concluded.

I stayed in silent awe. There was so much love and forgiveness that I didn't deserve. Now, I owed Rosalie my life.

"Thanks," I whispered brokenly.

Rosalie hopped off the counter and hugged me tightly. "No problem. It's nice to have you back. Alice seems truly happy now. And don't worry about Emmett, I'll talk to him. He'll come around," She assured. When she pulled back, her smile was tentative. "Now why don't you and Alice take off up to her room. I'll take Emmett to my place, and talk to him."

I mentally chuckled. I'd never seen Rose be so nice. "Ok, thanks, Rose."

I left toward the dining room and Rosalie went toward the living room. When I entered the dining room, Alice was sitting on the table alone, waiting.

Her smile was beaming when I came in. "Hey," She said softly.

I walked over and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "Hey. Do you mind if we go up to your room?" I asked.

She smiled, and I kissed her, which only widened her smile. "I don't mind," She replied.

When we were in her room, we talked about how school would be starting again in a few days, and how the gang was, and about the up coming fight. We talked sparsely about my time in Houston. It was a subject that neither of us felt comfortable with yet.

It was hours before silence finally settled in the room between us. But it was comfortable. We were laying on her bed, watching some movie.

Then there was a knock. "Jasper?" Esme called lightly.

"Yeah?" I asked.

Esme opened the door. "Your mother called. She said to come home. Dinner will be done soon," She explained. Then she smiled and closed the door.

Both me and Alice quickly looked at the alarm clock. It was a little past six-thirty. Damn!

Alice looked back at me. "Are you gonna come back?" She asked softly. Her face was a little sad.

I kissed her gently before asking, "Do you want me to come back?"

She rolled her eyes. "I will always want you to be here," She stated simply.

I grinned. "Then I'll be back as soon as I'm done eating."

Alice's POV

I had finished eating quickly. I was waiting for Jasper to come back, and Emmett still hadn't come home from Rosalie's house. The clock on the wall in the living room said that it was almost seven. It had felt like hours since Jasper had left.

Edward watched me pace around the room. He hadn't said anything to me since Jasper had come over, but he didn't seem mad. He seemed expecting for some reason.

The phone rang loudly, breaking our uncomfortable silence.

Even though he was closer, Edward made no move to answer it. He just kept his eyes on me as I rushed to answer it. I was thankful for that.

"Hello?" I said, hoping to hear the voice of my angel.

"Alice?" A rough voice asked. Emmett.

"Yeah. Hi, Emmett."

His voice was a sneer next. "Expecting someone else? . . .Ouch!" He yelled into the phone. Then his voice was distant. "Rose, that hurt!" I could hear the mumble of Rosalie's voice on the other end.

"What did you call for, Emmett?" I asked.

He cleared his throat. "Um . . . could you tell Mom and the others that I'm gonna stay at Rosalie's tonight?" He asked.

My voice was dejected. "Yeah, I'll tell them."

"Thanks," He sighed. It was quiet, and I was about to say goodbye when he spoke again. "Alice, I'm sorry about earlier." He hung up the phone before I could say anything back.

"Bye," I whispered, almost brokenly. I hung the phone up and just stood there. I wasn't sure if I should start pacing again, or wait by the phone, so I chose the easiest option for the moment.

"Where is Emmett?" Edward asked.

"Rosalie's," I told him, "He said that he is going stay the night there." I left out the part about how he was sorry about how he felt.

Edward nodded. "That's probably best. I'll go tell Mom and Dad." And with that, he left me alone.

The silence was killing me. With nothing to distract me, I had time to think. And once I had started, I couldn't stop.

Everyone but Emmett had forgiven Jasper. And I wasn't sure if Emmett ever would forgive him. Edward was waiting for something to happen, whatever that was. His gaze was irritating and strange. Rosalie was a savior. Tonight was the second time she had saved me from losing it. My parents understood what had happened with me and Jasper without even being told the whole story. And Jasper was feeling guilty. Feeling horrible about leaving, and wouldn't accept the fact that I wasn't mad at him. That I was more than willing to take him back. Anger burned in the pit of my stomach as I remembered how both he and Emmett claimed that he hadn't deserved to come here last night. But I couldn't blame them for feeling like that, I could only blame myself. I had overreacted to his departure. I shouldn't have acted as I did, shutting down and throwing a major fit at Emmett. It was inexcusable.

The doorbell rang and I ran to the door. When I opened the door, I wasn't disappointed. Jasper stood in front of me, and he hugged me as soon as the door was open.

"I missed you," He murmured into my hair.

I hugged him tighter, then made my tone as light as I could. "I missed you more."

A deep chuckle vibrated in his chest. "Yeah, right," He muttered. Then he pulled back and his face was serious. "Where's Emmett?" He asked, his voice tense.

I sighed. "He called about five minutes ago. He said he was staying at Rosalie's house tonight," I explained.

He nodded solemnly. "I guess I understand that," He said. I smiled gently and pulled him to couch. As he sat down, he pulled me into his lap, and I snuggled into his form.

"When are you going home?" I asked sadly as I looked up him. I would hate to see him walk out the door again.

His face twisted into confusion. "I am home," He stated. I smiled at his tone. His conviction was clear on his face.

"When are you going back to your house?" I clarified.

His eyes were crestfallen at the idea, as I'm sure mine were. "Do you want me to leave?" He asked.

"I will never want you to leave," I told him.

He smiled tenderly. "Then I'll always be around."

I laughed lightly. "I don't think that neither Emmett nor Edward would approve of that, not counting my parents," I teased.

"I have no problem with riding around for ten minutes, and then climbing up to your window every night," He said with a grin.

I buried my face in his chest. "I like that idea."

He kissed my hair. "Good, because if you want me to stay, then that's what I intend to do," He replied.

Then his lips descended to mine softly and sweetly. He pulled away with a smile, and I'm sure my own smile mirrored his.

"When are you going to leave and come up into my window?" I asked teasingly.

He grinned. "Actually, I was hoping to ask your mom and dad a question first. Where are they?" He asked.

"Um, I think they're in the den. Come on." I pulled him up with me, and we walked toward the den. When we got to the closed door, Jasper knocked, waiting for an invitation to enter.

"Come in," My dad answered. We walked into the den. Dad was reading a large book, and Mom was working over a set of blueprints.

Mom smiled at our entrance. "Alice, Jasper, did you need something?" She asked.

Jasper smiled. "Yes, I was hoping I could ask . . . kind of a big favor of you two," He admitted sheepishly.

Dad smiled. "What can we do for you, Jasper?" He asked.

Jasper gulped, and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, things are still a little weird back at my house, so I was wondering if I could stay here for at least tonight?" Jasper pleaded.

Both Mom and Dad smiled. "Of course you can stay here tonight, Jasper. Since Emmett is staying at Rosalie's you can stay in his room," Mom told him.

Jasper chuckled. "Well, actually since Emmett is mad at me, I think I'll stay on the couch. If that's all right."

Mom stood up with a stern look. "I will not have you sleeping on the couch. Edward!" She yelled.

"What are you doing?" I asked confused.

Mom only smiled.

Edward joined us in the den in a matter of minutes. "Yeah, what is it?" He asked.

"Edward, would it be all right if Jasper stayed with you in your room? He still feels a little uncomfortable at home," She explained.

Edward looked at me quickly and then back at Mom before saying, "Yeah. It's no problem. I make a pallet or something," Edward assured. I smiled brightly at him, and he returned it with a grin.

Dad smiled too. "Then it's all settled. Edward, will you go get a pallet made?" He asked.

Edward nodded and left the den.

I smiled at Mom and Dad. "We're going to go upstairs to my room before bed, ok?" I told them.

Mom smiled. "Ok. We'll see you in the morning." She kissed both on the cheek, and I gave Dad a hug before Jasper and I headed up stairs.

I gave him a grin. "Did you plan on doing that for the rest of Christmas Break?"I asked teasingly, but hoping that he was.

He smiled. "No, just for tonight. I'll start climbing your window tomorrow night," He told me.

I giggled, and his lips caught mine in a loving kiss.

1:30 A.M.

Edward's POV

I woke up with a need for a drink. I groaned and sat, throwing the covers off of me. It was too hot in here for blankets anyway. Groggily I got up and started to walk to the door when my foot kicked something hard.

"Oww, what the hell?" I looked closely, trying to see in the dark room.

It was the pallet I'd set up for Jasper, but Jasper wasn't in it. The blankets were messed up and the pillow was on the floor, so he had been in it. Where was he? Then it hit me.

Alice's room.

I groaned and started muttering curses, afraid of what I was about to walk into. I left my room and stumbled down the hallway until I reached Alice's door. I could see light coming out from under the door. I sighed and slowly opened it, making no noise. I crept quietly into her room. I found both of them lying on Alice's bed. Jasper was lying on his back, with Alice snuggled up against him, her head lying on his chest. Jasper's hands holding her close to him. I smiled at the tranquility of the scene. I looked over to see Alice's DVD player still on. I chuckled silently and turned it off along with the TV. I turned back around and turned off the lights, closing the door as I left. I found no reason to wake them up.

Earlier in Rosalie's Room

Emmett's POV

I'd been betrayed. Everyone had forgiven him so easily after what he did to Alice. He had no right to be in the house. No right to have come to her last night. He left and he should have stayed in Houston. Alice had been getting better. She was smiling and laughing again.

"Emmett?" A soft and lovely voice broke my internal rant. I looked toward the source of the heavenly sound. Rosalie was sitting on her bed, across from my place at her desk chair. I couldn't look at her for long. I loved her to death, but she too had betrayed me. It hurt.

"Emmett, you have to forgive him. He didn't mean to hurt her, it was the last thing he wanted to happen. And besides, Alice is a lot happier with him home," Rosalie said, trying to persuade me.

I growled. "She was happy!" I retorted.

Rosalie scoffed. "She was not happy, Emmett! And even if she was happy, she's a lot happier with him here, and you know it!" She snapped.

"I know she is!" I snarled. Rosalie looked shocked, but I didn't stop. "I know she's happy! She's freaking elated to have his ass back here! I know he makes her happy! But he doesn't deserve it! He left her! He left all of us! His girlfriend and his best friend!" I screamed, standing up and pacing in front of her. I couldn't contain it anymore. I know her parents or her brothers wouldn't come up here. Her dad thought we were fighting by the way I'd looked when we arrived here. He was hoping we'd break up.

Rosalie was still stunned. "Emmett, what are you talking about?" She whispered.

"He left!" I repeated. "He didn't just leave her. He left his best friends! He left us when we were getting ready for a big fight! And then he comes waltzing back here and Alice is suddenly all better! She's happy again!"

Rosalie's elegant eyebrows knotted in confusion. "Emmett, are you mad that he made her happy?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes! Ok! Are you happy?! I'm pissed that he made her happy! He did what I couldn't do! Why! Why couldn't she be happy, when we all tried and tried? Why is it that she's happy now, and all he had to do was come back? Why?" I roared. I fell to my knees in front of her, laying my head on her lap. Immediately, her hands started to run through my hair, trying her best to soothe my anger.

"Oh, Emmett," She murmured.

"Why, Rose? Why is it so easy for him?" I wondered in a whisper.

"Because Jasper is to Alice, as you are to me. If you'd left, I wouldn't be happy until you came home either. But that's what you need to understand. Even though it wasn't you that made her happy, she is happy. Isn't that enough?" She explained.

I didn't answer. But I knew what I would have to say if I did answer, and it was something I didn't want to admit.

I was happy that my best friend was back. The guy who'd been like another brother to me for years and years. The guy who even though I didn't like it, I knew would be perfect for my baby sister. And I was happy that he'd got Alice to be happy again. I'd missed her smile. I'd missed him. But I was mad. I'd felt betrayed with his departure. I felt betrayed even before I saw how Alice looked. I'd thought that he was responsible for how Alice freaked out at me. And now, I was very envious. He did everything that I couldn't.

He had brought the light back to her darkest hours.

**Poor Emmett! So confused! Just as a note, he's gonna have to talk with Alice and Jasper separately, and those two will be serious. But anyway, long chapter! The next few will be long too, because I hate to admit this, but the story is almost over! Yes, and I'm dreading the end, but there are only a few chapters left to go! But the chapters should be fairly long. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up, and after the fight there will be even more to tie up. Which means that it might take a bit before I finish the next chapter. Sorry!**

**Animeaddict**


	28. The Big Fight

**Author's Note - Sorry this took so long, I had such a writer's block! I hope this chapter makes up for it. I decided now was the time to get into Emmett's feelings a little more, and time for a little Garret and Kate. I'm not sure how long the next chapter will take or how long it will be, so be patient.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Twilight.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 27: The Big Fight

Bella's POV

Days passed quicker it seemed once Jasper was back, like the Earth was moving again. Emmett still wouldn't talk or accept Jasper. He acted as if he wasn't there. School started again, and the hostility of the upcoming fight showed everywhere. Even kids who had nothing to do with the fight looked like they could feel it. Collin and Ben had been working frantically since the first day back. They had received a note from Aro saying that the Volturi would in fact be joining the fight. The guys had been expecting that, but it still had them worried. Ben and Collin counted that they would have two more people then them.

Now it was only a week from the fight, and we were all at lunch.

"Are you positive, Garret?" Ben asked. Our table had expanded drastically. Sam and Jared had pulled their usual table over to ours, so that we could all talk.

"I'm totally sure. For some odd reason the Romanian twins absolutely _hate_ the Volturi gang. They quit James's gang because the Volturi are having a truce with them to fight all of us," Garret explained.

"Why do they hate the Volturi?" I asked.

Garret gave me a shrug. "Nobody really knows, except the Volturi leaders. It's kinda weird when I think about it, but then again the twins never talk to anyone. Not even me!" That was a shock. It always seemed like almost everyone liked Garret, or was willing to talk to him.

"But you are absolutely positive about this?" Collin asked.

"Positive!" Garret answered.

"Good, because that makes us dead even in members," Collin replied as he and Ben were looking at a piece of paper.

"So who's fighting who?" Tyler asked.

"We only have a few of those down for sure, we're still trying to even it out," Ben answered.

"As long as I fight James," Jasper muttered.

"I'm sure he feels the same," Edward replied, his teeth clenched together, and he held onto my hand tightly.

A Few Days Later

Alice's POV

I sat in my room, waiting desperately for Jasper to hurry up eating dinner at his house, so he could come back. Only this time he would be coming up through my window. A knock shook me out of my thoughts.

"Come in," I called as I closed my curtains.

It was Emmett. He'd been acting really weird around me during the times Jasper was at his house, and I couldn't understand why.

"Hi," He mumbled.

"Hi."

Silence.

"What did you want, Emmett?" I asked.

He sighed. "I wanted to talk to you, but I wanted to do it without _him_ being here. It's been hard to get you two apart lately," He muttered.

I didn't say anything back, waiting for him to continue.

"Look," Emmett let out a sigh again, "I think maybe you should know why I've been so mad about Jasper."

I sighed too. "I think I should know, too," I told him.

So he explained. He left nothing out. He told about his betrayed feelings, his talks with Rosalie, his fear about not being able to make me happy, and his desire and happiness to have his best friend and second brother back home, but the anger he couldn't get rid of yet.

"But, Alice," Emmett continued, "I'm just not ready to let him know yet."

"Emmett, if you don't tell him, these feelings won't ever go away," I told him.

"I know," He groaned. "Just not yet. I don't think I can tell him yet."

I smiled softly. "Well then, when you're ready, I'll leave and let you two talk." Emmett looked down at this. "He misses you too, Emmett," I whispered, "He misses his best friend. He really wants to play pranks and goof off with you again. He said it was the one thing besides me that really,_ really_ missed."

Emmett took a gulp of air and let out his breath in a shudder.

I stroked his hair softly, comfortingly. "Take your time, Emmett, because he'll understand, and he'll forgive you when you are ready to forgive and be forgiven," I told him. When he looked up at me, his eyes looked a little watery, but no tear leaked through. He sniffed and stood up.

"Ok, well that's all I had to tell you," Emmett muttered, "I guess I'll go back to my room. I've still got a Spanish paper I've got to finish." He trailed off to a mutter as he looked over at my window. He sighed again and turned to leave.

"Good night, Alice. I love you," He said quietly.

I smiled. "Good night, Emmett, I love you too," I replied. He closed the door softly, and I waited until I heard his footsteps fade away. I went back to my window, and pulled open the curtain. Jasper was sitting on the railing. When I pulled the curtains open, he turned to look at me and his face lit up eagerly.

Edward's POV

We were all waiting in our living room. The days had pasted again, and our fight was this weekend. Our cousins were coming here again, Kate giving the excuse that they wanted to come since they missed Christmas and New Year's Day.

"How long is it gonna take them?" Paul demanded. His arm was no longer in a cast, but instead only wrapped up. "This is getting irritating."

"Yeah, and so is listening to you whining about it!" Emmett mumbled.

"You wanna repeat that, Cullen?" Paul growled, and Emmett stood up to stand face-to-face with him.

"Paul, back off!" Sam called.

"You too, Emmett!" I told him. Both boys backed up and Emmett sat back down, and Rosalie, proudly it seemed, stroked his hair.

"You have to admit though," Jasper interjected, "that it is taking awhile."

"Well," Paul scoffed, "it looks like one of you guys have a brain." The guys in Twilight ignored him along with me.

"Don't worry," I told them, "It shouldn't be long."

It wasn't long after I spoke that Alice's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" She greeted, "Oh, Tanya! Hi! Where are you guys?""Really? That's great!""What? No way! Oh my god that's perfect!" Alice practically screamed.

"What is it?" Emmett asked, "They have a few more guys to fight with us?" We all looked at her hopefully.

Alice pulled away from her phone, "No, Tanya bought the most perfect outfit for the trip!" Every one of us guys groaned, but Jasper only smiled and laid his head on her shoulder.

"Well excuse us girls for not wanting to look disgusting like the rest of you guys!" Rosalie defended.

"I'm not disgusting," Emmett disagreed, "I am in fact dead sexy." He laughed and some laughed with him.

"Alice, where are they?" I asked, wanting to focus on what we were all here for.

"Hmm? Oh! Yeah! They are in Forks and are just turning into the drive!" And once she spoke we could all hear a car pull up into the driveway. There were several bangs as they got out and got their stuff. We heard Mom open the door and heard Dad help take the stuff upstairs. And in no time, Eleazar, Carmen, Kate, Irina, and Tanya all filed into Alice's giant room. Greetings were shared and then they settled, and it was time to get down to business.

"So, this is different," Eleazar said pointedly about the Quileutes. "I wasn't sure if you were serious when you told us."

"It's the only way, and it's actually worked really well," I told him.

He nodded. "So, Ben and . . . Collin is it? They've figured out who each of us will fight?"

"Yep," Ben replied, "We ironed out the problems early this morning. We're ready for them."

"Tell us," Emmett demanded.

"We tried our best to make them even or better, but some might not be good," Collin replied, "But here it is. Edward of course will be fighting Mike. There is no way Mike would settle for you fighting someone else. Emmett will take Felix alone this time," Emmett grinned joyfully, "And of course Jasper will take James."

Alice grabbed Jasper's hand as Jasper's head shot up from her shoulder and a flame was lit in his eyes. She looked at me worriedly, but knew that I could do nothing. This fight between them was a long time coming, and it was time to end it.

"Garret will take Laurent. Laurent's not a fighter, and, Garret, with your socially skills, you might convince him to stop fighting and try to end the whole thing." Garret nodded. "Benjamin we thought that it would be best if you fought Amund. It didn't seem right to pit him with anyone else.

"Ben will be taking Alec. They both are good at assessing the situation and their advantages and disadvantages. Tyler, we want you to try and take Caius. He is a lot stronger, but we think that you would put up a good fight and hold him off. Can you do that, or should we switch you?" Collin asked.

Tyler took a deep breath. "I ain't no coward."

"You're no English student either," Eleazar muttered to the amusement of the others around him.

"Eric will take Riley. We've checked up on this kid, and he is definitely no fighter. The only reason he's even in the gang is because Victoria is. Sam will take Marcus. Sam is strong and Marcus is fast. It should be pretty even. Jacob will take Aro. Both you and he are really experienced fighters. Jared will take Santiago. The kid is all height and not much muscle. Shouldn't be too hard to take out.

"Paul, you will take Afton. Now this guy may not be big, but he's conniving and sly. He can trick you faster than you could blink." Paul scoffed. "Embry will take Heidi. Now she may be a girl, but she hits like a guy. She'd have no problem taking a cheap shot on a guy so be careful. Quil will take Corin. You're both all muscle and no height, so do your best. Leah, you'll take Victoria. Now this bitch is the worst one yet. She'd stop at nothing to make sure you're down."

"Why her?" Bella asked.

"Well we're not sure," Ben answered, "but we think that Victoria will see this as an opportunity. A chance to prove to James that she's better than Alice. A chance she won't want to lose."

"Now, Seth," Collin continued, "You will take Jane again. You did great last time, and we think you can do it again."

"No prob!" Seth boasted.

"Brady will take Chelsea. She's better on the defensive side, but your offensive skills will knock her to the floor. I'll be taking Renata. She'll be no match for me. And finally, Eleazar, you will take Demitri. You and he used to be the best fighters Aro had, so we thought it best to put you against him."

"I have a question," Alice announced, "Why don't you have some of us girls fight? That would really shock them and they would be out numbered."

"No way!" Us guys yelled, Jasper seemingly the loudest.

"Why?" Rosalie questioned, "Kate's fought with you once."

"Once, and never again!" Garret growled, "I didn't like it the first time!"

"It doesn't matter what you don't and do like," Kate shot back.

"It does when it involves the girl that I care about is included!" Garret barked, and that shut Kate up.

"Look. The point is that none of you girls are fighting!" Emmett replied, "If it had just been the Volturi, then I would fight on your side, but with James and his cronies, I don't like it and I don't trust them to fight fair."

"And that is that," I ended with a swift look at all of the girls. I looked at Bella longer, and when I looked up I caught Jacob's eyes exactly where mine had been. He looked up at me, and in agreement it seemed, he nodded. Then he turned away, and I caught Leah giving him a sympathetic look.

Emmett's POV

It had been a day since the meeting, and the fight was tomorrow. Now I was up in our attic, looking for an old shirt I could wear tomorrow. I didn't want to ruin one of my good shirts, and when I was little I always use to wear huge shirts to bed, so I figured I'd go through all of mine, Edward's, and Alice's old stuff up here. Mom and Dad had packed up all of our baby stuff for us one day when we had go to visit our cousins. We hadn't cared at the time and hadn't even noticed it really. But now, going through all of it, floods of memories rushed back to me of us as kids.

I pulled up a box that said "Kids" and opened it. Inside were bunches of toys, clothes, plastic things, and pictures. I pulled out a school picture of a little black-haired girl with green eyes that showed a girly secret, smiling widely at the camera, showing the gap where a tooth had fallen out. I couldn't help but laugh at the picture of seven-year-old Alice. She always started to giggle when they started to take her picture.

I started to pull out other things. An old child's piano book, my old frisbee with a crack down the middle, a small blue turtleneck, a little plastic flower ring, and many other things. I stopped when I got close to the bottom, and all there was, were two more things in it. Alice's old baby blanket was on top of something. I pulled it out and looked at it. It was old and worn out. On the white fabric, Mom had sewn her name in pink. Stars and hearts were sewn everywhere into, and in two of the hearts was Ed and I's names. I smiled as I ran my hand over it, tracing the patterns on it. I looked into the box again and dropped the blanket out of shock. The last thing inside the box was a small, and black bear with half of the right ear missing. Dad had gotten it for me when I was born.

I picked it up, looking at it from all angles. One prominent memory ran through my head.

**Flashback**

A storm flashed around outside the house. Thunder echoed and lighting flashed into my room. I clutched my small black bear closer to me. I was a big boy, and I didn't need Mommy or Daddy to protect me. But then it hit me. My baby sister did need protection, and as her big brother, it was my job. I got up with my bear, almost tripping on my oversized shirt, and head out of my open door. I slipped down the hall and went silently into Alice's room. She was a little bump on the shadow of her bed. I went up and looked at her. She was wide awake.

"Emmett? What are you doing in here?" She whispered.

I grinned. "I couldn't leave my baby sister unprotected! No scoot over, I'm coming up," I whispered back. She smiled and moved over for me. I climbed up and she snuggled into me.

"Emmett, what are you going to do when both of us don't fit on my bed anymore?" She asked quietly.

I considered it slowly for a moment before having a good answer. I pulled the bear between us. "I'll give you, Koddie. He's always been protecting me when Mommy and Daddy couldn't, so after tonight, you can have him. It'll be like having me laying next to you. Either way, you'll have a bear in your bed."

Alice giggled and held onto me tighter. She kissed my cheek. "I love you, Em."

I kissed her hair in return. "I love you too, Ali."

"Good night."

"Good night."

And then the thunder raged on like the roar of a bear, and lulled us both to sleep.

**End of Flashback**

Tears welled up in my eyes at the sight and memory. I had been four-years-old when I had given up my favorite bear to Alice. It had been a symbol that I would always be around. Had Alice noticed the bear's absence in her room? Did she care now that I wasn't needed to protect her? Now that she had Jasper? I took a shuddering breath and put the bear down. I put away everything but the picture, bear, and blanket back into the box. I gave up on the search of an old shirt, and took the three items and left the attic to my room. I folded the blanket and put it in my dresser with my shirts. I propped the picture against a framed one of Rose and me. And I took the bear and sat it on the pillow of my bed, and laid down next to it. Laying down, staring at it, it was the last thing I saw before succumbing to sleep.

Bella's POV

The day was here, and the time was now. The boys were going over last minute plans as us girls sat around Alice's room. Jasper was sitting by Alice and they whispered to each other, a worried look seemingly etched onto Alice's face, and look of suppressed delight on Jasper's. It was when they started to kiss that I turned away. Tia and Benjamin were holding hands as they sat and Benjamin, Tyler, and Eric went over plans. Ben held Angela as they converse with Eleazar and Carmen. Tanya and Irina talked with Rosalie who was leaning against Emmett's broad shoulder. Emmett was having a thumb war with Garret, who was sitting really close to Kate, who watched. The Quileutes were all talking among themselves intensely. Even Emily, Clair, and Kim were in the discussion. Seth was smiling like crazy and nodding at certain intervals, as was Quil. Jacob seemed be agreeing with some things and not other things. He caught my eyes for a moment and smiled. I couldn't help but to smile back.

I turned to looked at the man by my side. Edward had taken to looking around and squeezing my hand at moments.

"Edward?" I said softly.

He turned his head away from Garret and Emmett to look at me. "What is it, love?"

"You promise you guys will call us afterwards?" I asked. It wasn't what I'd wanted to say, but it was just as important.

Edward smiled. "We'll call as soon as we can, and that is a guaranteed promise," He told me.

"Edward," Eleazar called loudly, gaining everyone's attention, "I think it's time."

We all watched as Edward looked at the alarm clock on Alice's end table. It was nine-thirty. He sighed. "I guess you're right. We'd better go." The guys all got up to leave, saying a few more things to the girls.

"You know, Kate," Everyone could hear Garret, "when this is over, and school is done, I ain't ever letting you out of my sight." Some of the girls all gasped or squealed.

"Oh, sure. Now you tell me," Kate came back sarcastically, but with a wide smile. I turned away when Edward pulled me into a hug.

"Promise me you'll call," I told him.

"I promise. I love you, Bella," Edward whispered back.

I smiled. "I love you too, Edward." Then he kissed me once, and pulled away.

"Ok guys, let's go," Edward called, and they all started to file out of the room, Jasper seeming to take the longest. He held Alice once more, and kissed her longer before Edward grabbed his shoulder and got him to go. It would have been funny if they hadn't been leaving to go and fight a guy who the whole school deemed a psycho.

"We shouldn't worry," Rosalie said after ten minutes of tension-filled silence, "It's a simple fight like the last one, and that didn't last forever. It won't take long." Some of the girls looked hesitant, but agreed.

"Yeah," I mumbled, "you're probably right, Rose." A flash of grey, cold, sinister eyes and a smug, sick smile passed into my head and a shiver ran down my spine. Rosalie just had to be right.

Edward's POV

We took the same car arrangements as last time, only Eleazar was with Emmett, Jasper and me, and instead of up in the front with Emmett, Jasper was in the back with Eleazar. I found the little rift between the two annoying. I wasn't sure how Alice kept putting up with it. We made to the baseball field in no time to see a line of people waiting in the center. We all go out our cars and walked slowly up to the people at the middle. It seemed that only the Volturi had made it this early. James and his little gang weren't here yet. We partially assembled ourselves as we waited, and no one said anything to anyone. It was fifteen minutes of heavy silence before an angry sounding truck raced through the trees, and stopped next to one of the Volturi cars. James and Victoria got out of the cab, while the rest hopped out of the bed. They walked menacingly toward us, and lined up with their allies, but James and Mike came to stand next to Aro, so Jasper and I stood by Jacob.

"Anyone backing out?" James asked in a lazy drawl, "There's still time to surrender."

"Take all the time you need," Jasper growled. James gave him a steady glare to go with his sick smirk.

"Well then, I guess we can start," James replied, and at his words, Amund let out a furious growl and jumped at Benjamin, starting every fight around us, leaving only me and Mike stying in the center, unmoving.

I stared across the space to Mike. I didn't want to do this, not to one of my former friends. Though his reasons are whacked out, I did want him back in the gang. My bet was that James had influenced Mike to his side. There had to be a chance.

"Mike," I spoke gently, "don't do this. It's stupid."

"To you it is, but not me!" Mike roared. "You've always had the eyes of every girl around, and the one I really wanted had to be the one you picked!"

I sighed. "Well, after all of this, just know that we'd welcome you back," I told him. A spasm of emotion seemed to cross on his face, but it disappeared and he threw a punch. I caught it easily and sent my own fist into his collarbone, and dropped him. He coughed quickly and kicked his foot at my own, but I stepped on his ankle and then stomped on it. Mike groaned angrily. I let him get up and he stood up. He made to swing at me again, but I kicked at him and got his stomach. He fell to his knees and I kicked him over as he coughed some more. I rolled him over onto his back with the toe of my shoe, then stomped on his stomach, once, twice. Mike feebly tried to push at my foot, but I was consistent with my stomps. Finally I stopped and leaned down to look at him in the eyes.

"Last chance to call it off, Mike. Just give up the fight," I whispered.

Mike ground his teeth together. "No way! Besides, that's up to James," Mike retorted, and he pushed my foot off and I stumbled to the ground. Mike tried to be swift and got up to kick me, but I was quicker. As his foot swung up to meet my face, I grabbed it and pulled him to the ground roughly. I looked at him once. Blood was coming out of his mouth, and now out of a cut on his forehead.

I sighed as I stood up to continue and end this fight.

Emmett's POV

This fight was already a piece of cake. Felix was still a little messed up after the fight with me and Paul, and his body must have still been sore, because all of his moves were strained and hesitant. My punches always connected and blew him off of his feet.

I was knocked out of my triumph when Felix grabbed my ankle and pulled. I flew to the ground, my head slamming down. A jolt of pain sliced through my head. Another jolt went through my ankle as I felt Felix twist it in his hand. I groaned and kicked with my other foot. I hit him, and he let go of my ankle, but when it hit the ground it throbbed. I moved to stand up and put all of my weight on my other foot. Felix had stood up too, and he was wiping the blood off of his lip and from his nose. I guess he hadn't noticed me, because I'd caught him off guard when I swung at his face, missing his nose but hitting his jaw, and grabbing his arm and twisting it as I pulled it down. And audible crack sounded as he landed, and he swore loudly. His arm was at an odd angle.

I saw the advantage and with my good foot stepped on his arm. Felix sucked in a sharp breath, and I kicked at his nose. Blood started to gush out again at a rapid pace. He clutched at his nose, and I stomped on his chest. He coughed uncontrollably and I stopped to let him catch his breath. A fight was no fun if they didn't fight back. I stood back as he made to stand up. One of his arms was limp and useless. Felix growled and made to grab my throat, but I grabbed his hand and pulled his thumb and middle fingers away from each other roughly, listening to the crunching sound they made. Felix gasped in pain and pulled his hand back quickly. I kicked his kneecap and then at his chest when he started to fall.

The fight had to be coming to a close.

Jacob's POV

This Aro guy was a weird guy. He was a good fighter, and was holding his own, but it was as if he wasn't even paying attention to our fight. He kept glancing over at Jasper and James, giving me a chance to hit him every time. I took those chances, but it bugged me. Not that he wasn't paying attention, but the look he was sending over at them. It was a look of hesitance, mistrust, and curiosity. I couldn't understand it. I've never looked at someone I was partners with like that.

But I wasn't really in the fight either. I kept glancing over at Cullen and Newton. Cullen was dominating Newton. I wasn't surprised. That Mike kid wasn't that big, there was no way he'd be able to fight on his own against Cullen and win. But a part of me was wanting desperately to see him hit Cullen, just to see that Cullen wasn't perfect. To see for myself that if he wasn't perfect. That I could have a chance against him with Bella. No matter how small the chance, just one was all I wanted.

Aro sent a distracted punch into my shoulder, and I sent a kick to the gut back at him. He fell to the ground, and I took the chance to look at Cullen. When I looked back, Aro was glancing over at James and Jasper. When he looked at me, he gave an apologetic grin, and stood back up.

"It seems to me you should be fighting Edward, too," Aro mused with a smile.

That stopped me. "What are you talking about?"

"Well. My sources tell me that you like Bella Swan. Why don't you fight for her?" Aro asked.

"Because that's just stupid! I can't just beat the hell out of Cullen and expect Bella to fall for me!" I exclaimed.

Aro tilted his head. "Well, it seems that you are one of the few who think like that."

"So let me ask you a question," I demanded. "Why are you fighting with James?"

Aro grinned. "The same reason he is fighting Jasper. You see, James just wants Alice for a while. I want her for longer than that."

"That's sick!" I yelled. Aro seemed confused. "So you two are just going to pass her off to each other like a toy?!" My face twisted into disgust. Sure for the longest time, I didn't like Alice, but that was sick no matter who it was happening to.

"Alice would be more than a toy," Aro disagreed.

"To you maybe, but you know what James wants her for!" I argued.

"We do what we must," Aro replied.

I wanted to vomit and punch him at the same time. I chose the latter.

3rd POV: Benjamin and Amund.

Both brothers were sending punch after punch, and kick after kick at each other. Neither of them were backing down, and Amund seemed to be getting angrier as time passed.

Amund's fist smashed into Benjamin's cheek, and Benjamin pulled Amund down with him.

"Amund, what is the deal?" Benjamin panted out as he rolled away from Amund's fist. Benjamin never called him brother or anything like that. When he did when they were little, Amund would lash out at him.

Amund didn't answer, he only threw his fist into Benjamin's cheek again, then his forehead. Benjamin stopped fighting him and quit struggling. Amund kicked and punched at him, but Benjamin didn't retaliate.

"Fight back!" Amund snarled.

"Not until you answer my question!" Benjamin spat out. His lip was bleeding, and he was trying to make it stop.

"I don't have to answer anything!" Amund replied.

"Then I'm not fighting back!" Benjamin told him. Amund punched him in the stomach.

"Fight damn it! You owe me a fight! You owe me that much!" Amund roared.

"What do I owe you for?" Benjamin questioned angrily.

"You killed my mother by being born! You owe me!" Amund roared, and sent his fist into Benjamin's gut. Even though Amund had answered his question, Benjamin didn't fight. He couldn't. He was stunned.

Their mother had in fact died after giving birth to Benjamin, but Amund was only two. Amund barely knew her, why was he so mad?

"That's what you've been hating me for all this time?" Benjamin asked, "For something I couldn't control?"

"You don't even care!" Amund yelled.

"I do too care!" Benjamin screamed. "But I never met her, and you barely knew her! Why are you punishing me for it?"

"Because of you, I'll never know what it's like to be loved!" Amund yelled.

"We have dad!"

"Oh like he counts! Name one time Dad has ever shown that he cares about us. Name one indication he gave that we were even alive!" Amund demanded, slamming his fist into Benjamin's temple.

Benjamin quickly got up, and he smashed his own fist into Amund's nose, and kicked his shin, dropping him to the ground. Amund got back up and tackled Benjamin to the ground, and slammed his fist into his stomach twice. He stopped, panting, and looked down at Benjamin who was panting too.

"Why couldn't she stay around long enough to say goodbye to her oldest son?" Amund whispered hopelessly.

And Benjamin, who was usually very good at answering these questions, was silent as he looked up into the vulnerable face of his only brother.

3rd POV: Seth and Jane

Jane kicked at Seth's knees, and Seth reached to grab her foot. He caught it as it smacked painfully into his leg, and he stumbled to the ground, still holding onto her foot. Seth rolled onto his back, and quickly got up, but Jane was quicker and she pounced on him, knocking him to the leaf-covered ground. Her fingernails had clawed into his skin, leaving not only marks, but blood seeped from a few. Jane pulled her fist back, and smashed it into his face. She did it again, and again, but Seth couldn't push her off no matter how hard he struggled. Her knees were digging harshly into his elbows, keeping them pinned. As she pulled her fist back for what felt like the hundredth time, Seth stopped struggling. He waited for the impact, but it never came. Instead he felt Jane's weight fly off of him, and heard Jane let out a strangled cry of shock, pain, and fury. He opened his eyes and sat up to see who had helped him.

It was Kevin Hale! He stood there in a ripped white T-shirt, and equally ripped blue jeans.

"Kevin, what are you doing here?" Seth asked with glee.

Kevin grinned. "I couldn't miss out on this fight! Not even Rose was gonna stop me!" Kevin looked back at Jane who was now standing and eyes both of them with horrid distaste. "Want some help here?" Kevin asked.

Seth grinned back. "I would love some help!" Then they both advanced toward the now small-looking girl.

Jasper's POV

My fury had grown swiftly since the beginning of this fight, but to my hatred James was just as an adept fighter as I was. It pissed me off even more. This fight was dragging out longer and longer, and it wasn't ending anytime soon it seemed.

A picture of Alice flashed through my head for a moment, then every comment James had ever made about her, and my fist flew even more eagerly toward his face. I cut off his next punch easily and threw another punch at his cheek. He'd had a smug smirk on his face ever since we got here, and I wanted to wipe it off his face so bad, that I'd do almost anything.

Now it was like James had stopped fighting back. He only stood there, chuckling. It irritated me even more, and I threw punch after punch, but he didn't fight back.

"You know, Jasper," He drawled out smugly. I stopped from hitting him again. "I'm growing sick of this."

What? He was giving up on Alice? That easily?

He seemed to read my mind. "Oh, not Alice. No, no, not on her. I'm growing sick of this small fight, and I believe that it's time to end it once and for all." James unzipped his jacket, and made a motion to take it off, when he pulled something out of an inside pocket. Something that glinted dangerously off of the moonlight.

A cock of a gun was heard. I couldn't move. "Alice is mine," James growled smugly. Finally I seemed to be able to move, but I was too late. And that last things I saw were Alice and his sinister, smug grin.

"_Jasper_!"

Edward's POV

The fight had lost its point. Mike was having no luck, but he was persistent. I admired that. The fight had been going on for what felt like hours. It had to be ending soon. But then something happened that made everyone freeze with fear.

A shot rang out loudly in the darkness. No one moved.

"_Jasper_!" Emmett screamed.

**Please don't hate me! I don't like the ending either, but I've had this one part planned out forever it seems. But everything will be explained later, no doubts about it!** **Also, not too many chapters left to the story! I might cry when I finish this. I kinda don't want to end it!**

**Animeaddict**


	29. The Unexpected

**Author's Note - ok, so this one will answer a few things, but for sure, everything else will be explained in the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Twilight.**

You Gotta Love High School!

Chapter 28: The Unexpected

Bella's POV

It had been hours since the guys had left the house to fight. It was half past midnight, and all of us girls were starting to really worry. Alice would send a longing glance at her balcony window every five minutes it seemed. Rosalie tried to occupy herself anyway that she could. I was lost in my thoughts. Thoughts of how I came to this moment.

I'd never given much thought that my life could be so perfect, yet so chilling, though I'd had enough reasons to. But I'm kind of glad it could be like this.

I stared without breathing across the small bedroom room, directly at the silent telephone.

Surely no one had died. None of them are so cocky that their guard would be down. They should be expecting anything. But their fight couldn't have lasted this long could it?

No. It can't be that. They're just celebrating that the fight had gone in their favor. No one could have died.

I looked around. Angela had silent tears running down her face. Tia kept twirling her hair to distract herself. Kate was silent but the worried look never left her face. I turned to look at the floor, not wanting to see the rest of the faces in the room.

I know that if I had never moved to Forks I wouldn't be worrying now. But scared as I was, I didn't regret about moving to Forks, and I probably never will. Because if I hadn't, I would never have had the perfect time I had before this mess.

Then the phone suddenly started to ring. All of us in the room gulped as I walked to the phone to see what happened, to make sure that no one had died.

"Edward?" I said into the phone. All of the girls were around me now.

"Bella! Bella! Oh, thank got you answered, you girls have to get here now!" Edward practically yelled into the phone. He was frantic.

"Edward calm down a minute," All the girls looked scared now, as did I, "Where are you? What happened?"

"We're at the hospital! Hurry down here!" Edward told me.

"The hospital?" Gasps were all around me, "Why are you there? What happened?"

"I don't have time to explain right now, just get here as fast as you can!" Edward yelled.

"Edward, what happened!" I demanded.

"It's Jasper, Bella. James got him," Edward yelled thickly into the phone before he hung up. In a state of shock I hung up the phone.

"We have to get to the hospital now!" I whispered. The girls started to move slowly.

"Bella, What happened? Who got hurt?" Kate questioned.

I looked over to Alice and whispered, "It's Jasper."

Alice shot out of the room like a rocket, no jacket or anything. We all got our jackets and ran after her, trying to put them on as we ran. When we got outside, Alice was waiting in her Porsche. Rosalie went to the driver's side and opened the door.

"Get out of the car, Alice, there is no way you are driving in the state you're in!" Rosalie commanded. And Alice not wanting to argue, moved over to the passenger seat. Rosalie got in, and Angela and I climbed in the back, as the other girls got in their cars. We all took off down the drive in a hurry.

"Here, Alice, I brought this," Angela said as she handed Alice a jacket.

"Thanks Angela," She mumbled. She put it on as she shivered, finally feeling the chill in the air.

"What did Edward say, Bella?" Rosalie demanded.

"He didn't tell me much," I whispered, "He only said that James had got Jasper, and that we had to hurry."

"Oh, God," Angela whispered.

"Rose, did you know that this car can go faster!" Alice tersely remarked.

"Yeah, Alice, I do, but I think it would be smart to keep at this speed. We are not the Fast&Furious!"

"Well we aren't Driving Miss Daisy either!" Alice yelled back.

"Do you want to be in a hospital bed ten rooms down from Jasper's?" Rosalie demanded, and Alice stopped from retorting back. I patted her shoulder from behind her.

"He'll be ok, Alice. Jasper's not gonna leave you anytime soon," I told her.

"Yeah, and for all we know, James only broke a bunch of bones. It might put you back on sex, but otherwise he'll be fine," Rosalie said, trying her best to seem positive. After a few minutes Rosalie pulled into the hospital parking lot. When Rosalie found a spot to park, Alice was out of the car before it'd stopped moving.

"Damn it, Alice!" Rosalie yelled in shock, but Alice was already at the doors to the hospital. The rest of us hurried out and into the hospital. The guys were standing over by the rows of chairs, and Alice was in front of them, her face furious. From where we were, we could see heavy stains of blood on some of their shirts.

Alice turned on us when we approached. "You girls couldn't have hurried inside?"

"Sorry we didn't jump out of moving cars!" Rosalie yelled back.

"Girls!" I got between them. They stopped to look at me. I turned to Edward and the guys, who all looked a little hopeless. "Edward, tell us what happened."

Edward took a deep shuddering breath before speaking. "Jasper took a bullet." All of us girls gasped, but none was as sharp as Alice's.

"Be more specific," Kate told him.

"The fight was carrying on and out of now where a gunshot thundered through the field. We all froze and had no idea what happened until we heard Emmett yelling out Jasper's name. We all ran over there, us, the Quileutes, the Volturi, and James's gang. James and Victoria had gone off and disappeared. We hurried to get Jasper to the car, and the other two gangs apologized, telling us that they had no idea what James was planning. Aro called the cops and told us that they would explain everything to them. The rest of us rushed down here and we've been waiting," Edward explained.

"How is he?" Alice asked.

"Dad came out a few minutes ago to tell us he's gonna be fine. It got him in the left shoulder, no where near his heart. He'll be in the hospital for a few weeks, but he'll be out and fine in no time," Edward told her.

"Any lasting damage?" Alice asked.

"No, Dad said it would be like a broken arm almost. No nerve damage, his arm will be fine," Edward explained.

"Can we see him?" Angela asked.

Emmett spoke this time. "No, that idiot at the reception said that visiting hours are over and we can't go in."

"Like hell I'm not going in there," Alice growled as she stocked off toward the desk.

"Think she'll do it?" I asked.

"Yeah," Several people answered me. We could all hear her from where we stood.

"Excuse me, what room is Jasper Whitlock in?" Alice asked politely.

The nurse flipped through papers and answered, "He is in room 104, but visiting hours are over." Alice ignored her and went through the doors. "Miss! Visiting hours are . . ." She trailed off, knowing that it was now useless.

"That nurse was stupid to think that Alice wasn't going to go anyway," Eleazar commented.

"Should we follow?" I asked.

"No," Edward replied, "Let's just let them have their time together."

Alice's POV

I hurried along the rows of doors, nodding to the doctors that said hi to me as I passed. They probably thought I was looking for Dad. I came to room 104 and took a breath. Anger coursed through me as I thought of what the guys had told us. I opened the door and stepped inside. I closed the door before turning around to look at him. When I finally looked at him, it scared me.

He was asleep, his breathing even, his heart apparently even too, by the sound from the monitor. He was shirtless, and his arm was bandaged tight. His shirt was on the counter next to the wall, covered in blood. I sighed and sat down next to him on the bed, being careful not to hit him.

"I should've known you'd be here." I looked up to see Dad standing at the door.

"Hi, Daddy," I whispered, looking back to Jasper.

"He's ok, Alice. He might even wake up soon. If he does, call my office, ok?" Dad asked. I nodded in assurance. "Thanks, sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow morning at the latest, I guess." That was the great thing about Dad. He knew me. He knew that I wasn't planning to leave tonight.

"I love you, Daddy," I told him before he closed the door.

"I love you too, Alice," He replied with a smile. Then he closed the door gently, as if not to disturb Jasper. I sat there, stroking Jasper's thick blonde locks. He looked peaceful laying there. Like he was only sleeping. I flinched my hand back when he twitched and groaned.

"Jasper?" I whispered lightly.

He groaned again. "Alice?" He called softly, opening his eyes slowly.

"Oh, Jasper," I whispered when he looked at me fully.

He groaned again. "What happened? Where's James? What about the guys?" I cut him off by placing a finger over his lips.

"Shhh. That doesn't matter right now. Only you do. Are you ok?" I asked.

Jasper was quiet for a moment before answering. "Yea, I think I'm ok. I don't feel any pain, but I can't really feel my left arm. It's kinda numb."

"I'd imagine," I teased, and he laughed quietly with me. I sighed. "Jasper, why do you do these things?"

He stopped his laughing and his smile faded. "What are you talking about, baby?" He asked.

"I mean, why is it that every time you leave my sight lately something terrible happens?" I asked.

He looked crestfallen. "I'm sorry, Alice, it is my fault."

"I'm not blaming you, Jasper! But just so you know, you aren't leaving my sight for a long, _long_ time. Not after this," I told him fiercely.

Despite my tone, he smiled gleefully. "I like that idea. I like not living under the pretense of me going home every night just so I'd climb up your window."

"Well, I don't think you'll be climbing any tree for a while now," I replied.

"What about other things?" Jasper asked teasingly, and by the look in his eyes, I understood what he meant.

I giggled. "I think we'll manage on that aspect. Being with you in every way isn't something I want to give up until your arm's healed." He laughed with me, and everything felt like it'd be ok.

"Are you staying here for the night?" Jasper asked.

I smiled. "If I can, I'll stay here every night until you're out," I told him. And I leaned down and kissed him, sealing my promise.

Three Days Later

Alice's POV

I was getting ready to leave and go see Jasper again. I'd been to see him every day and I never left until almost midnight. Dad agreed to let me stay overnight on the days I wouldn't have school, but he said Jasper might not need to stay there much longer.

"Alice?" Emmett called, opening my door easily.

"Yeah?" I asked, still trying to pick a jacket to wear.

"I . . . ah, wanted to give a few things to you. I found them up in the boxes Mom and Dad packed years ago," Emmett told me, and he handed me my old baby blanket. I held it in wonder.

"I can't believe they kept this! Thank you, Emmett!" I ran my hand over the fabric and over the names of my brothers.

"Well, there's also this." And he handed me an old, black bear. I dropped the blanket on my bed and took the bear.

"That's where it was? In the attic?" I said in astonishment.

"You looked for it?" He asked.

"Of course I did, are you kidding me? I looked everywhere! I was devastated when I came home and Koddie was gone. Having him in my bed with me was like having you there every night," I told him, holding the bear close to me again. I'd cried to find this bear gone. I loved it.

I looked up when I saw Emmett's hands shaking. His head was down, and I could hear him trying to stifle his sobs. I took a step to him and held him, Koddie between us.

"Thank you so much, Emmett," I whispered.

"I'm sorry, Alice," Emmett cried after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry for running out on Christmas, for being mad at Jasper. I miss him, Alice, I miss him! I miss my best friend!" Emmett cried harder, burying his head into my shoulder. I pulled him down onto my bed.

"It's ok, Emmett. You don't have to apologize. And he misses you too," I told him.

"I thought he was dead," Emmett whispered, ignoring me. "I saw his body fall and I screamed. I thought he was dead. I started running over to him, but we were all running, so James took off. I wasn't running at him. I was running to Jasper. His eyes were closed and he looked paler, so I thought he was dead! I picked him up, and there was blood all over him and me! I didn't know what to do!" Emmett sobbed harder.

I held him tighter as he cried harder. "You did what you could, Emmett."

"And when you went in there to see him, I desperately wanted to go with, but I couldn't. I told myself that I'd go tomorrow, but I couldn't do it! It felt like I had no right to go!" Emmett whispered.

"Emmett, you have every right."

"Alice, could you take me with you today? I wanna talk to him," Emmett asked.

I smiled. "Of course you can, Emmett. I think that Jasper would love to have you visit him."

"Thank you, Alice, thank you." And the next ten minutes were dedicated to Emmett repeatedly thanking me. I'd never seen Emmett so vulnerable.

At the Hospital

Emmett's POV

After I'd got done crying and looked better, we left to the hospital, Alice taking her and Jasper's homework with her. They'd been doing their homework together for the past few days now. We got to his room, and I stayed outside the door, listening.

"Hey, beautiful," I heard Jasper, "I was afraid you weren't coming."

"I'm sorry, but there was a . . . well Emmett came to talk to me," Alice answered.

There was a small silence before Jasper said, "Oh."

"And he's here, outside, and he wants to talk to you," Alice told him.

"Oh!" Now Jasper was surprised. "Well, go get him. It's about time he settled everything." I couldn't help but grin, and I knew that he was too. But my grin disappeared when Alice came out.

"Go on in. I'll be in Dad's office if you need me or anything." And with a hug, she left down the hallway. I took a deep breath. It was time to figure all of this stuff out. Time to end all of the anger. It stepped inside the room and closed the door. He was staring at me, waiting.

"Hi," I mumbled.

"Hi."

I sighed and pulled up a chair to sit down next to his bed. "Look. I wanted to tell you everything."

"That sounds like a good idea." Was all he said.

"I hated you when you left, even before I saw Alice," I started abruptly. "I was even a little mad at Alice for a moment, because I knew you would have told her before you left."

"Why be mad at her then?"

"Because you told her, and not me. I was envious. Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

Jasper shrugged. "I thought you'd be mad, might try and stop me."

I shook my head. "I would have understood to some degree. If you thought it was for the best, I would have let you go."

Jasper didn't say anything. He only stared in shame.

"And at Christmas, it felt like you only cared that Alice was there. I was ticked that I didn't get some notice that you even remembered your best friend. But when you came back I was still angry, but I was happy. Happy that my other brother and best friend came back. That's why I didn't want to be around you. I wanted to be angry, but I knew that I was around you too much that I would start to have fun with you again."

"Was there something else you were angry about?" Jasper asked after a minute or so.

I sighed. "Yeah, but it's shameful."

"Tell me." And I knew that Jasper wouldn't judge me for it.

"I was mad that you made Alice happy. I was mad at you for doing it, and even more angry at myself for not being able to do that too."

"Em," Jasper interjected, "you make Alice happy. Just by cracking a joke or being around her. You're her brother. She loves you. Hell if you had taken her shopping she love you more than Edward!" He teased, and I couldn't help but chuckle, but I stopped and sighed again.

"So, will you forgive me, Jasper?" I asked hesitantly.

Jasper only smiled. "If you forgive me, then I'll forgive you."

I smiled too. "You've got a deal, dude." And both of us laughed.

Alice's POV

I walked back down toward Jasper's room after twenty minutes, and when I reached the door, I heard both of them laughing. I smiled as I walked in.

"All is forgiven?" I asked.

They both looked at each other and nodded.

"Hey, Ali, I'm gonna stay here with you. That all right?" Emmett asked.

"As long as Jasper gets his homework done," I told him.

"Are you his mother now?" Emmett teased.

"No, I'm his girlfriend."

"Even scarier," Jasper joked, and both boys laughed. This was going to be a long day now, but I couldn't help but smile at that thought.

Days Later

Bella's POV

I was waiting at home, making a lunch for two. It was Sunday, so Charlie was out fishing with Harry Clearwater, and Jacob was coming over. It was just going to be him this time, no Seth or Quil like usual, but that was fine with me.

"Hey, Bella!" I jumped and dropped the container I was holding, and it fell to the floor, thankfully nothing fell out. Jacob stood in front of me, no laughing his head off.

"That wasn't funny, Jake!" I protested. I reached down to pick up the container, but Jacob beat me to it.

"Here, and I'm sorry. I thought you'd heard me come in. You want this in the fridge?" He asked, holding the container full of lettuce in his hands.

"Yeah, I'm done with that, go ahead." I moved and started to punch in numbers in the microwave.

"So what's for lunch?" Jacob asked.

"Well, you are having Ramen Noodles, and I'm sticking with a salad," I answered.

"Aren't you hungry?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Not really. So why just you today? Usually Seth or Quil always tags along," I asked.

Jacob stopped moving and stared at me. "Well, I kinda wanted to talk to you about something, but it might ruin lunch plans to get into it now."

I sighed. "Jake you can tell me anything and it won't ruin it. You're one of my best friends. Tell me now."

Jacob didn't say anything for a while and the microwave dinged. I mixed in the seasoning and handed him the bowl. We sat down, and Jacob finally spoke.

"I wanted to talk to you about you and Cullen." He told me.

I sighed. He had proved me wrong. This conversation really could ruin lunch.

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing bad," Jacob defended, "I just wanted to clarify something, you could say."

Silence.

"What do you mean?"

Jacob sighed. "Look, Bells, I know that you love him, but sometimes love can change. I'm not saying it will, but it can. And I want you to know that I will always be here, waiting for you to give me the chance that I unknowingly gave up to Cullen. I'm not gonna like it, or accept it, but if it makes you happy, then I will just have to live with you being in love with him," He ended his speech in a soft voice. I was shocked. It wasn't what I'd expected. We'd fought about this before, but he always talked about how he was better for me.

"What made you change your mind?" I asked quietly.

Jacob gave me a wry smile. "I've been talking with Leah, and it's cleared my head."

"Leah?" I asked in shock, "Leah Clearwater?"

"She goes through the same things," He told me, "We've been talking a lot, and she's not that bad. I like talking with her."

"Oh. Well that's good I guess." I wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm gonna go and talk to Cullen too," Jacob said. I almost chocked.

"What?"

"I'm not gonna fight him, Bells, I just want to tell him what I told you. That's it," He assured me.

"Should I go with?" I asked.

"No," Jacob cut me off, "It needs to be just him and me."

That was what scared me.

At the Cullen House

Edward's POV

I was sitting at my piano when Mom called my name.

"Edward, you have a visitor!" She called.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's Jacob." My fingers slammed down on the keys in shock. I was quick to get up and hurry to the front door, and sure enough, Jacob Black stood there, waiting for me. I thanked my mom and closed the door behind me as I joined him outside.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. I didn't want to get into a fight with him. Bella would be angry with me, and that was the last thing I needed right now.

"I wanted to talk to you about you and Bella."

"That doesn't concern you!" I argued.

"It does too!" We both stared each other off, sneers on both of our faces. Jacob backed up and sighed. "Look. I told Bella I wouldn't fight you. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not going to being lobbying for her anymore, but I'm always gonna be there for her if she needs me."

"In other words you just gonna wait until I screw up and take her?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Say it how you like. But I thought I'd let you know. I'm gonna be the one to catch her if you let her fall."

It was quiet for another minute before I knew what to say, and came out before I could stop it. "Thank you, Jacob." He only nodded, and turned away.

Jacob's POV

I was already back to the Rez. Now I was heading to the one place that seemed like a smart place to go right now. I wove through traffic, not that there was much, and drove as fast as was safe toward my destination. It wasn't long before I was there, and almost jumped out of my car. I all but sprinted up to the front door and knocked. The door opened within seconds.

"Oh, hey, Jake," Leah greeted, "What are you doing here?"

I smiled and shrugged. "You got time for a drive?" I asked.

She looked me over once and grinned wryly. "Sure, let's go." And she put on her shoes, and we left. Smiles on our faces, and feelings not forgotten.

Two Weeks Later

Emmett's POV

Jasper had been let out a few days ago. He was told not to over-exert himself, and not to use his left arm at all. So not only did Alice never let him out of her sight, but she also barely let him do anything. But that never stopped us from joking around and having a good time. It felt like it did before almost. I finally had my best friend back, and it was great. But now I had one more thing to finish up. It was a thought that had been growing in my mind for a while now, especially with graduation coming closer and closer.

Rose and I were in her backyard now, sitting on swing with her. It had seen a lot. Memories of child games, and parties, and pure love. It was the perfect place to put my thoughts into action.

"Hey, Rose," I said, looking down at her as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"What, Emmett?" She asked.

"Well, I wanted to thank you for helping me with the whole Jasper thing, and for helping Alice," I told her.

"It's no problem, Emmett. I love both of you, I have to help you," She said.

"Yeah, and I love you too, that's what I've been think about for a long time now, and it led me to a decision."

"What are you talking about, Emmett?" She asked, lifting her head.

With my heart hammering in my ears, I stood up and knelt down in front of her on one knee. I could faintly hear her whisper "Oh my God." as I pulled a small box out of my jacket pocket.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale, would you marry me?" I asked with a smile.

Her smile was radiant as she tackled me to the snowy ground. "That's a dumb question. You should know the answer already!" She chided teasingly.

I laughed. "I know. And I'm sorry about the corny proposal but I was out of ideas."

"I really don't care about that!" She giggled and kissed me, ignoring the freezing cold air and frozen snow around us. Not that I felt it. The warmth in my heart had exploded, and ran through my veins.

The Next Day

Bella's POV

"I can't believe you guys are getting married this fall!" Alice squealed. Emmet and Rosalie had told everyone about them getting married yesterday, but Alice was still gushing about it.

"Yep, and we want you to plan it, Alice," Rosalie told her. Alice squealed again. Jasper chuckled and put his good arm around her shoulders.

"What month?" Edward asked from beside me.

"I think in November, before Thanksgiving. I want to be back by then though. Mom's dinner is the best," Emmett answered.

"You would think of the food," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. Emmett just shrugged and smiled.

"What colors?" Alice asked.

"White of course," Rosalie told her.

"Yeah, but I kinda want a blue or pink tux. I think that would be pretty cool!" Emmett suggested.

"Maybe, Emmett, maybe. We'll see it works out," Rosalie told him with a skeptical look.

"What made you want to get married so soon?" I asked.

Emmett smiled. "Why wait? There's not point to it, we were gonna get married eventually, and I thought now was the perfect time!"

"I still think it's young," I told him.

"Yeah, but you also think it's ok to be a virgin until marriage," Emmett teased.

"There is nothing wrong with it!" I argued, "I mean, I'm not say I'm abstinent, but I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of."

"You only say that because you're dating my abstinent brother!" Emmett roared with laughter at his own joke and Jasper joined him.

"Shove off, Emmett!" Edward snarled.

"I'm sorry, Eddie, I'm sorry, but I couldn't miss that chance!" Emmett apologized. It was silent for a while as we all laughed to ourselves.

"Hey, Bella, can I ask you something?" Jasper asked casually.

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"When you moved here early this year, did you expect all of this?" He asked with a grin.

I laughed and looked at each of them individually, ending with Edward. I thought about everything that had happened. I caught up with the Cullens and met Jasper, Rosalie, and their gang. I met Jacob and his gang. I met their cousins and went to the party welcoming them, and a fight broke out between Edward's gang and Jacob's. After that I met the Volturi, then went on my first date with Edward. The Quileutes and the Cullens made a treaty and fought the Volturi. I went to a bonfire with Jake, and met the girls. Kevin ran away and it took Emmett to find him. We met Alice's biological parents and sister just before Mike left the gang. Soon after Jasper left and Alice fell apart. Cynthia came to visit and we all went to Jake's birthday party. Jasper came home in time for the fight where he was shot. And Jake said he'd back down and let me be with Edward, but would be there if I needed him. And now Emmett and Rosalie were getting married in the fall. It was amazing, the amount of things that had happened to me in a short time it seemed.

"No, Jasper, I can honestly say that I never expected it. The only thing that I did expect was that Alice would make me go shopping with her," I answered. They all laughed at my comment, and I joined them.

I'll take the unexpected over the expected any day.

**Ok, so I have some very bad new. The next chapter will be the last! I am so not looking forward to ending it, but it must be done. But I promise that there will be a little surprise in the next chapter for all of you. So wait and see!**

**Animeaddict**


	30. Epilogue: Graduation

**Author's Note - Well, this is it. The last chapter. I really want to thank you guys for sticking with me the whole way through. Took a while, but I think I did a good job. I added a song into this one, hope you like my choice, and sorry it's not that long. I hope you enjoy my last chapter of **_**You Gotta Love High School!**_**.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Twilight or the song "I'll Be There for You."**

You Gotta Love High School!

Epilogue: Graduation

Bella's POV

"And so, ladies and gentlemen," Principal Marceline announced, "I give you the graduating class of Forks High School!" Cheers roared and yellow graduation caps flew into the air.

_So no one told you life was gonna be this way_

_Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A._

_It's like you're always stuck in second gear_

_When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, but_

Charlie and I rushed into the crowd with the Cullens, Hales, and Whitlocks to find Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper. We found them easily. A large crowd of their classmates was congratulating them. We moved easily through the crowd, and Alice threw herself at Jasper softly so she wouldn't hurt his arm. They were hugged by all of us, their mother's tighter than the rest.

"I am so proud of you three!" Esme cried happily.

_I'll be there for you (When the rain starts to pour)_

_I'll be there for you (Like I've been there before)_

_I'll be there for you ('Cause you're there for me too)_

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd be able to do it, Em!" Edward teased. Emmett reciprocated by punching him in the shoulder.

"Boys," Carlisle chided, but patted both his sons on the shoulders.

"I think we should celebrate as a family," Charlie suggested, "For both graduating, and the soon-to-be newlyweds."

"I think that's a great idea!" Esme and Mrs. Hale agreed. I couldn't help but notice how both Mr. Hale and William's faces fell at the last bit. Apparently they took it as a low blow that Rosalie had agreed to marry Emmett.

"Well then let's go! I'm starved!" Emmett yelled. We all laughed and started to go for the exit.

_You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight_

_You've burned your breakfast so far, things are going great_

_Your mother warned you there'd be days like these_

_But she didn't tell when the world has brought you down to your knees_

"So, Jasper," Charlie addressed, "what are you gonna do now? What school are you going to? Seattle with Emmett and Rose?"

Jasper smiled, but Alice gave a small grimace. "I'm not going to school. I'm gonna wait a year first." And we all knew why. He and Alice told Rose and me that he was planning to stay back a year and wait for Alice. Alice said that they'd had a HUGE argument about it, but Jasper wouldn't budge, and Alice didn't completely want him to go. After everything that had happened to them over the year, they were barely without each other. Jasper had practically lived over at the Cullens', and they all loved it. But apparently, Jasper had gotten a small apartment in Forks along with a job with Mike at Mike's dad's sporting store. He'd gotten me a job there too.

_I'll be there for you (When the rain starts to pour)_

_I'll be there for you (Like I've been there before)_

_I'll be there for you ('Cause you're there for me too)_

Mike had joined back up with Twilight after giving a huge apology to everyone about leaving and about how he was an idiot. They all welcomed him back with open arms and humorous smiles. James was in jail now for attempted murder, and Victoria was in for aid in attempted murder. Laurent gave us all an apology too, along with the Volturi leaders (mainly Aro). The leaders and some of their members had graduated today too.

_No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me_

_Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me_

_Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with_

_Someone I'll always laugh with_

_Even at my worst, I'm best with you_

_Yeah!_

As we left, we saw Benjamin and Amund together. He and Amund had been trying to get past everything, and they'd been getting along fine. Amund told Edward that if they ever needed someone for a fight to have Benjamin call him. Garret and Kate had gotten together, and they were both going to the same college as Emmett and Rose. Tyler started to date Lauren Mallory who hated me, and Mike started to date Jessica Stanley who I thought talked way too much. Rosalie's brother Kevin was entering high school next year, and he was going to be initiated into Twilight sometime after Emmett and Rosalie get married.

The Quileute Werewolves and Twilight agreed to a permeant treaty between them, and they had all gotten along great, despite their history of hatred. And Jacob was true to his words. He never bugged me about dating Edward, but instead we hung around my house, or we'd hang out in his garage while he messed around with his car.

_It's like you're always stuck in second gear_

_When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, but_

And Edward and I were as strong as could be. It was nice to know that they would be graduating together next year along with Alice. The future was bright for all of us. We were all protective and never let anything happen to one another.

We'll always be here for each other.

_I'll be there for you (When the rain starts to pour)_

_I'll be there for you (Like I've been there before)_

_I'll be there for you ('Cause you're there for me too)_

**The End**

**And that's it! Oh my God, I can't believe I finished it. I'm a little upset. But as I said everything was explained. And now, as was promised, a surprise treat for everyone.**

**Preview for the sequel: Screwed!**

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of the witnesses,"

"Wait a minute. Are you breaking up with me?"

"That's impossible! I can't be pregnant! Can I?"

"Hey, it's time for . . . Woah! Shit!" "Edward!"

"You want to fight our gang again?" "This is it. Aro, Caius, and Marcus want to conquer and acquire."

"I thought that you loved me!" "I do. That's why we can't be together." "But . . . ""I'm sorry."

"Where is your honeymoon going to be?" "Emmett's having us go to Paris!"

"I can't do it!" "You can do it, Kev. You just have to have faith!"

"I'm so sorry! Look, it's time for dinner, ok!" "Wait, Edward!" "I don't want to hear it Alice!"

"I'd be delighted if you marry me." "Are you serious?"

"You're pregnant?" "I'm so sorry!" "Sorry? Why? That's the greatest news I've heard!" "What?"

"The time has come for you to be initiated into Twilight. Step forward to complete the task that was set for you, Kevin."

"He left me." "I'm sorry, sweetheart." "Oh, Jake."


	31. Author's Note

You Gotta Love High School**!**

Author's Note

**Hey, this is a note to let you all know that the sequel, **_**Screwed!**_**, is now officially up. So go check it out and enjoy!**

**Animeaddict**


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